


Airship Sidewinder #1: Bomb's Away

by TMW



Series: Airship Sidewinder [1]
Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 04:47:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 99,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMW/pseuds/TMW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2357. The world has been consolidated into a handful of nation states, each loosely ruled by governing bodies more interested in lining their pockets than protecting their citizens. In the absence of any true justice, a haphazard system of mercenaries and bounty hunters have taken their place. The Robin Hood-like pirates carve through the skies on their massive airships while the bounty hunters collect them for rewards. Ty Grady and Zane Garrett co-captain Airship Sidewinder and are infamous in at least six provinces and outright banned from two. They've built their crew from scratch - all outcasts who lend their skills to cause.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Maintain It Was a Good Decision

_2357: New Shanghai_

Explosions in New Shanghai were, unfortunately, common. Between black market weapons that didn’t work quite right and the continuous airship battles between mercenaries and bounty hunters, the sky was always blistering shades of blood red and orange. Booms and crashes were commonplace throughout the claustrophobic mazes of corrugated metal and crumbling brick that passed for apartments, as was the smoke and ash that permeated the towers with its darkness, painting the buildings in shades of black. Jagged teeth punched out of a roiling skyline.

The vast majority of explosions were accidents. Byproducts of poor timing or even poorer aim.

The explosion that just rocked the night and sent a fireball twenty feet into the air?

Wasn’t.

A figure silhouetted by the rising flames darted from the burning building and traversed several metal rooftops. The firelight caught a flash of a metal arm as he ran, the majority hidden in the sleeves of a dark duster that billowed behind him. A wide-brimmed hat obscured most of his features and he kept his head low as he ran, heavy-soled boots thudding across metal planks and wooden beams. He didn’t hesitate as he reached the edge of one rooftop, jumping the gap between buildings with ease. He landed and tucked into a roll, coming up with a large and rather intricate-looking gun in his mechanical right hand. A slight hitch in his chest was the only thing that betrayed his heavy breathing.

"Boys." His voice was low, with a laugh underneath it and an accent no one could usually place. He rose, keeping the gun aimed at the shadows created by makeshift bridges connecting the apartment buildings hundreds of feet in the air.

A hulking figure stepped out of the shadows, a long-nosed rifle up and aimed. “Captain Ty Grady.”

"Smith. Or are you Wesson? I never can tell you two apart." Ty cocked his head to one side.

"Both, actually." Another man with the same bushy orange hair, yellow eyes, and heavy build stepped out of the shadows. Ty wondered how both men had fit back there.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he drawled lazily. He looked around the rooftop, noting the smokestack to his left that kissed the side of the nearest apartment building. The bridge behind the bounty hunters looked stable enough to use as monkey bars if he needed. He hadn’t pulled that maneuver in a while.

Well, not for at least a week.

"Where’s your buddy captain? Zane Garrett," one of them growled.

"Got hungry. Ate him for breakfast." Ty waved the gun a little as he spoke.

"The crew too?"

"Well, that would be silly," he said in a patronizing tone. "They’re in deep freeze for my midnight snack."

"Funny guy."

Ty grinned, the shadow from his hat throwing long lines across his sooty face. It was a macabre sight. “I try.” He moved a little to his left. They followed the movement with their weapons, eyes narrowing.

"Bounty’s out on you and your ship."

"And the crew," the brother added.

"Do you still get paid if the crew is frozen or will I have to thaw them first?" Ty shuffled to the side, swinging his gun, relaxing his body. "How about this instead then?" His gun kicked twice as he fired, the bullets punching holes in the bridge supports near their heads.

He scaled the smokestack, hissing as the hot metal singed his good hand. He banked off the stack onto the adjoining roof right as bullets pinged where he’d clung mere seconds before. He growled a curse and took off running, shimmying through a narrow space between two more buildings that seemed to grow out of the one he was running on. Footsteps bounded behind him. He fired over his shoulder, careful to miss windows and praying everyone stayed in their homes. He had absolutely no qualms with taking a life if it was deserved, but hurting or killing innocents was against his personal code of conduct.

Even pirates had morals.

He ducked down another narrow alley, hoping the two hunters were too big to follow. Ty wasn’t small but he was decidedly smaller than those two elephants and he was counting on having that advantage. Howls of frustration behind him caused a smirk to twist his lips and he put on a burst of speed. He leapt off the edge of the building, falling about twenty feet, and landing hard on his left side. He groaned and rolled, wincing at the grinding crunch of something in his mechanical arm.

Nick was going to kill him for breaking another one.

He couldn’t worry about that now. He pulled himself to his feet, patting his pockets to make sure his cargo was still safely secured. Pain lanced up his ankle into his shin but he pushed through it, picking up a run across three more rooftops until a looming darkness ahead of him told him he was quickly running out of rooftop.

Ty skidded to a stop at the edge of the roof, windmilling his arms to keep from pitching over the edge. The skyscraping stack of apartments butted right up to a cliff edge. Even without the several hundred feet of poorly built dwellings, it was several hundred feet down into darkness and black ocean. His breath came out in harsh pants as he scanned the darkness, looking for something, anyth—

A slow smile spread across his handsome features.

He straightened his duster, listening to the pounding footsteps catching up to him and pivoted to face his pursuers, hat pulled low over his face like some villain straight out of a movie. Which, he supposed, he was. His Robin Hood status had earned him that at the very least, dammit.

"End of the line, Grady."

Ty shrugged one shoulder slowly and winked. “Gentlemen.”

The twins paused then shouted in violent protest as Ty stepped backward and fell into the darkness. They raced to the edge of the roof, falling backward across the broken tiles and strips of corrugated metal at the blast of hot air that whooshed up from the shadows.

A sizable airship, nearly solid black and held together with an amalgam of scavenged parts, roared upward. The massive dark gray balloon barely cleared the chasm walls. Exposed gears churned and groaned, the heat from the friction sending the smells of smoking oil and burnt metal into the air. The top level glowed as if on fire, ropes swinging free, compressors releasing air in great hisses. The central mast section came next—massive columns of dark metal twisted and bolted, with a webbing of smaller cable systems strung between them. The lower deck rose from the darkness, its shape an homage to the great pirate ships that used to sail the seas—which was apt given the ship’s captains and crew. Wood, metal, rope, and who knows what else held the great ship together and created a formidable silhouette. Guns held by a few shadowy figures on the main deck kept the twins on the ground. Another figure stood on the upper deck, the lower half of his face covered with a metal mask and a magnifying eyepiece slung over one eye.

Even in shadow and smoke, the imposing presence of Ty’s partner in crime Zane Garrett, was recognizable anywhere.

A metal ladder dangled from the railing, its end the last thing to rise as the airship sailed into the sky. Ty stood on the bottom rung, his duster flapping in the wind like the wings of a dark angel. In the faint light of the city, his eyes gleamed gold-green as he put two clockwork fingers to the brim of his hat and saluted his adversaries.

~*~

"I should push you overboard."

Ty smiled at Zane’s exasperated tone as he heaved himself over the railing with some help. “Missed you too, darlin’.”

Zane rolled his eyes, well _eye_ since one was covered by a patch with a built-in magnifier.

Ty frowned and tapped the half mask that covered Zane’s mouth. “I hate this, by the way.”

Zane snorted. “Did you at least get the thing?”

"Yes, I got the thing." Ty shed his duster, throwing it over a random post, and sauntered into the main cabin. It was a large space with a table they’d stolen and refurbished. Right now the table was covered in maps, gadgets, books, pens, and a small computer tablet that Zane used to store information. Ty didn’t understand it and didn’t want to. As long as it made his lover happy, he didn’t care.

He flipped a wall-mounted copper box open and hit a switch. He waited for the initial burst of static to die down before he shouted into the mouthpiece, “Get your asses up to the cabin.”

"That’s very captainy of you." Zane threw his patch and mask on the table and rubbed his face. Ty watched him. Zane looked tired, worn. The captains and crew of Airship Sidewinder had already exceeded mercenary life expectancy by a long shot. Most orphans didn’t make it out of the gutters. If you were lucky enough to make it on a legitimate airship crew, you might have a shot at a stable life. The life of a mercenary though? A few years at most. Half the crew of Sidewinder hit thirty this year, the others hitting it next year. Zane was looking at forty in a couple of years. They’d been at this for almost a decade. But they all loved it. None of them would have picked another life.

It was wearing on them, though. Chipping away at the edges.

Really the only thing Ty wanted to do was strip, curl around Zane in the dark, and sleep for a week.

Not. Happening.

He limped over to him, sliding his hand around the other man’s neck. Zane frowned at the limp but didn’t say anything. He pressed his forehead to Ty’s and closed his eyes. “I don’t like when you go off alone.”

"I maintain it was a good decision."

Zane laughed softly. “Glad you’re okay.”

"I’m always okay," he murmured. He nudged his nose against Zane’s then tilted his chin up, seeking his mouth. The kiss was gentle, more relief in it than anything else. A slow slide of lips and tongue. A clicking whir cut through the silence and Ty pulled away with a groan as they both looked at his arm. From shoulder to fingertips, Ty’s right arm was a working conglomeration of clockwork parts, compressors, metal plates, and a few surprises.

"You broke it again," Zane said flatly.

"Not my fault. I fell. Well, jumped. But landed wrong. It was dark, okay?"

"What happened?" Nick O’Flaherty’s voice interrupted the moment. The six foot Irishman leaned in the doorway, a smirk on his freckled face.

"Broke his hand." Zane spun Ty around and shoved him toward Nick.

"Christ, Grady." Nick rolled his eyes. "Please tell me it was your real one and I can go get Kelly."

"Get me for what?" Kelly Abbott wandered into the room, blinking his abnormally bright eyes at the lamplight. His dark hair stuck up in all directions and a pair of brown-lensed glasses sat crooked on the top of his head. As usual, he was barefoot. He was the smallest of the crew—short with compact muscles—but no one ever dared make fun of him for it. He was a scrappy motherfucker who was undefeated in sparring matches. That and Nick was protective as hell of his boyfriend.

Ty held up the appendage. “Sorry?”

"Fucking hell," Nick muttered. "Sit."

"You know, most crew members respect their captain." Ty kicked out a chair and slumped into it.

"Yeah, well, most crew didn’t live in the streets with their captain since they were ten, now did they?" Nick shot back as he pulled up a stool and pulled his ruby-lensed goggles over his eyes. "Now, hold still."

"Details," Ty grumbled.

Kelly laughed and pulled himself up on a counter behind Nick’s chair, his bare feet swinging in the air.

"Where are—" Zane’s question was cut off by a rowdy collection of laughter as the last three members of the Sidewinder crew stumbled into the cabin. Elias Sanchez gave Ty and Zane a messy salute and flopped into a chair. Digger straddled a chair backward. Owen Johns leaned against a wall, his perpetual scowl firmly in place.

Without any preamble or ceremony, Ty dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a slim black object and tossed it on the table. It was about the length of his middle finger and had an intricate design carved on its entire surface. Digger picked it up, the object nearly blending seamlessly with his dark skin. “The fuck is this?”

"That’s what we were sent to get."

Zane arched an eyebrow. “Any idea what it is?”

"Didn’t have time to play with it between setting bombs and running from Smith and Wesson." Ty winced as Nick pulled his arm at an unnatural angle to get a the mechanism from the underside.

A chorus of cursing rang out. “Smith and Wesson were there?” Elias sat up. “I told you one of us should have gone with you.”

Ty shook his head. “It was easier with one and we all know I’m the better thief.”

Kelly coughed.

"He said thief, not pickpocket. Kill the motor," Nick murmured without looking up.

"So this thing," Owen said as he took it from Digger and examined it. "Is what the Baron wanted us to steal?"

"That’s pretty much what I just said, yeah." Ty swallowed his irritation. He was tired. His ankle hurt. He had smoke in his lungs. And the person who could make it all better for just a few hours was not more than five feet away. As if he’d read his mind, Zane glanced at him and smiled softly.

"Move your fingers for me," Nick ordered.

"Great." Owen tossed the object on the table. "We head back to Britannia, get our payment for whatever the hell that is, and dock for repairs."

"Or…" Ty flexed his mechanical fingers one at a time as Nick watched carefully. Nick stopped him at the ring finger, flipping a higher magnifier on his goggles as he bent over the offending digit.

"Shit," Zane muttered. He folded his arms over his broad chest, which did amazing things for his biceps. Ty studiously ignored his body’s immediate reaction.

"Or?" Digger arched an eyebrow.

Ty picked up the object and twirled it over his fingers. “We head to the Moroccan market. Pay a visit to Deuce.”

"Sell it?" Kelly asked, his face lighting up.

Ty shrugged. “Or figure out what it is. The Baron was pretty cagey about this thing and, I don’t know about y’all, but that doesn’t sit right with me.”

Elias rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “But what about—”

"We told him it would be a long shot to get it back anyway." Ty jerked as an electrical charge zapped up his arm. He growled at Nick.

Nick smirked. “I said hold still,” he drawled.

"You like us being known as thieves, don’t you?" Owen leaned against the wall.

"It’s what we are, Johns," Zane said slowly.

"Only according to two Premiers, a Baroness, three Prime Ministers, and a King," Owen protested.

"And a partridge in a pear tree…" Kelly warbled from the corner shelf where he perched. Nick glanced at him with a grin.

Owen rolled his eyes. “My point is the regular folk don’t think of us like that.”

"You like being the hero." Zane’s voice was quiet, rumbling. He only got that way when he was testing someone, probing, trying to find a trigger or a weakness. He played this game with the crew often. Ty loved it.

Owen stared at Zane, blatantly refusing to bite.

Ty nudged Nick with his boot. “Two cents, O?”

Nick pushed his goggles onto his forehead, his dark red curls sticking up every way. It was very mad scientist, which contrasted sharply with his easy-going personality. He snapped the plate closed on the side of Ty’s mechanical arm and fastened the protective leather cover that made it mostly look like Ty had a long glove on. He didn’t answer as he finished up, one brow furrowed in thought.

"Babe?" Kelly prodded.

"I heard," Nick said slowly. He leaned back in his chair, his shoulder resting on Kelly’s shin. He tilted his head and stared at Ty, his striking green eyes narrowed, assessing. "Would be nice to see Deuce again. But, I could use a re-up on supplies from the market in Britannia."

"So you have no opinion on the matter," Zane said.

Nick rolled his neck, cracking it twice. “I didn’t say that. Smith and Wesson will be waiting for us in Britannia.”

"Which could be fun." Elias grinned.

"Yeah, I still owe them for this." Ty held up his mechanical arm.

"And this." Owen pointed to the side of his head where a copper box was fastened over his ear. Nick had fashioned it after an explosion set by the twin bounty hunters had nearly stripped Owen of his hearing completely.

"Burns is in Morocco," Zane said, eyeing Ty. "He catches wind of us there, he’ll peg us for a job."

Ty shrugged a shoulder. “I’d really like to see him try.”

"You said that last time and we ended up in the Arctic," Nick pointed out.

Ty frowned. “Okay, we put it to a vote.” He ignored the surprised looks from everyone around the room. “Hands up for Britannia.” He counted the hands that rose. “Okay. Hands up for Morocco.”

Kelly’s eyebrows shot up as he looked around the room. “Whoa, really?”


	2. Morocco'Clock

Nick brushed the thick layer of sand off the railing before leaning against it with his coffee. They’d finally pulled far enough above the cloud cover to escape the sandstorm currently ravaging most of the Northern African Provinces. He frowned as he watched the clouds undulate below him, the puffed peaks and valleys streaked with white and gray. Lightning glowed softly deep in the layers. It would be a while before that storm died down enough to dock in Morocco.

Fucking Morocco.

Of course, he and Owen were the only ones that voted for Britannia and that was because they were the only ones who could keep the ship, gadgets, and various automaton appendages in working order. Supplies were running low. Too low. Especially at the rate Ty injured that damn mechanical arm of his.

While it was always fun seeing Deuce, they had far too many enemies in Morocco for Nick’s comfort. That was probably the appeal to Ty, who seemed to steer the ship straight into danger no matter what the consequences. Zane could rein him in sometimes, but Ty was more of a _into the heart of the storm and damn the attackers_ sort of a captain. Nick loved him like a brother, but if Ty didn’t go down in a blaze of glory when it came time for all of them to sign off permanently, he’d be sorely surprised.

Nick rubbed his face, wincing at the grit that covered his skin in a fine layer. Goddamn sandstorms.

This ship was quiet this early in the morning. He’d heard Owen banging around in the bowels of the ship a few hours ago, but, other than that, nothing. Kelly had been curled up in a ball in the corner of their bed, unable to shake the muscle memory of cramming a boy’s tiny frame into the safest place possible while living on the streets. No matter how many times Nick unfolded him and pulled him into his body, Kelly always migrated to a corner and made like a hedgehog. It’d been easily a decade, if not longer, since Kelly had grown into his limbs and became all hard muscle and wide-eyed snark. But some things were ingrained too deeply.

He supposed all of them had their tics and quirks. A ship of orphans. A ship of kids forced into adulthood long before they were ready. Probably why some, like Ty and Kelly, never lost their childlike qualities. Nick and Ty had been lucky, finding each other when they were so young. Both spiky and rough around the edges, something between them had clicked. They ran into Kelly a few years later. He’d tried to pick their pockets and nearly got away with it, which was a feat unto itself. Ty wanted to beat him senseless to teach him a lesson, but Nick had been intrigued by the kid from the offset. He’d never once regretted going with his gut on that one.

Couple years after that came Zane. Zane was on the same job that they were—something that happened frequently after that. Nick chuckled remembering the two of them arguing over that stupid Ming vase. Ty and Zane had _hated_ each other at first. However, that didn’t keep them from sneaking off to make out in alleys or rent a room for a few hours for two years. But it grew to grudging attraction. Then love. Now they were inseparable. And stronger for it.

When Ty got it into his head to steal an airship eight years ago to get above the grunge and grime and smoke of the streets, nothing or no one could dissuade him. That’s when they found Digger, Owen, and Elias. The seven of them worked well together. It wasn’t perfect.

But no family ever was.

And that was Sidewinder.

Family. Home.

"You’re thinking way too hard for this early in the morning, babe."

Nick squinted up at Kelly, who was standing on the railing. He casually held onto one of the rope ladders connecting the two massive ship sections. His bare toes gripped the wood effortlessly. He wore a pair of dark-lensed spectacles over his changeable blue-green eyes, a necessary evil since he was hyper-sensitive to any sort of bright light. Being able to see extremely well in the dark had its trade-offs. His tongue flicked out and grazed the dual rings in the left side of his lower lip.

Nick sighed. “You realize you’ll have to put on shoes when we land.”

Kelly folded down into a sit. He looked out over the clouds and shrugged, the rings in his eyebrow and nose catching the light. “I’m sure I can find a pair somewhere.”

Nick snorted into his mug. “Damn monkey.”

"Love me or leave me." Kelly sing-songed as he laid down on the railing, one leg wrapped around the wood for an anchor, one arm dangling out into open air. Fearless or death wish—Nick couldn’t decide half the time.

He shook his head, a smile pulling at his lips.

"When do we land?" Kelly threw a forearm over his glasses, blocking out more light. The sunlight glinted off the studs lining the shell of one ear. His lover was a damn pincushion.

Then again, Nick favored tattoos and was damn proud of his ink.

"When the sandstorm dies down." Nick grimaced at the lukewarm coffee.

"Is that why you look like you got into a fight with a beach and lost?"

"Shut up."

Kelly grinned and sat up fluidly. “So we have a little time maybe?”

Nick arched an eyebrow.

"I found something and I don’t know what it is."

"Found?" Nick leveled a look at him.

Kelly shrugged, his lips twitching.

"Okay," Nick said slowly. "Where is it?"

"Back in our room." He jumped down and backed away a few steps, biting his bottom lip.

Nick chucked the rest of his coffee overboard, not caring who or what it rained on.”You aren’t subtle, Kels.”

Kelly laughed and shimmied up a side wall with the help of some ropes and his crazy monkey maneuvers. “Race you there.”

Nick shook his head as he watched, fighting the grin threatening to overtake his entire body. Kelly was sweetly infuriating, frustratingly seductive…and his.

 _Mine_.

~*~

“Where did you get this?” Nick turned the palm-sized orb over and over in his hands, squinting through his magnified goggles to see the intricacies of the design on the golden surface. He sat on the edge of their bed and frowned.

“Nicked it from a guy at the pub last night.” Kelly pulled himself up on the low dresser that ran the length of their cabin, his bare feet hitting the drawers as he swung his legs like a child. His glasses were shoved into his hair; his shirt gaped open in random spots as a result of poor buttoning skills. One suspender dangled around his hip, the other one threatening to fall off his shoulder at any moment. He was chaos personified, but when the shit hit the fan, he was resourceful, quick, and deadly.

Kelly sighed loudly and banged his heels on the drawers.

“Stop that,” Nick muttered as he traced the looping lines around the center.

“Make me.” Kelly picked up a gun about the size of his fist, flipping it over and causing some loose screws to clatter to the floor.

“Put it down,” Nick said without looking up.

Kelly grumbled but set the weapon down. He banged his feet a few more times and huffed another sigh. “Well? What is it? Can I sell it?”

“I don’t know, Kels. You’ve given me five whole fucking minutes to look at it.” Nick pushed his goggles up and rubbed his eyes. His left one was dry. Again. Damn sandstorms.

Kelly’s long fingers closed over the orb and plucked it from Nick’s grasp. As Nick protested, Kelly set it carelessly on the bedside table and climbed into Nick’s lap. “Bored now.” His changeable eyes squinted as he grinned. Without the glasses blocking them, Kelly’s eyes were mesmerizing. Bright blue and green swirled together, constantly changing pattern. The tiniest bit of white ringed the pupil, fading into the blue-green iris. Nick never knew if Kelly was born that way or something happened before they met—he always hedged his answers concerning his eyes—but his eyes literally shone if you looked at them close enough.

“You’re always bored.” Nick tried to stay annoyed but couldn’t as their lips slid together, each kiss growing in heat and intensity. He never could around Kelly. Kelly was a ball of light no matter what. They could be running for their lives from bounty hunters and Kelly would be whooping and grinning the whole way. He was their heart and, on some level, a bit of their innocence. Sometimes Nick wondered what would happen to the crew of Sidewinder if Kelly ever left. He wondered what would happen to _him_ if something ever took Kelly away.

That made his chest hurt.

"Stop it," Kelly murmured against his mouth, lapping at his lower lip. "I can hear you thinking."

Nick grunted and wrapped his arms around Kelly’s waist, leaning back and rolling at the same time so Kelly was under him on the bed. Kelly grinned, a soft sigh escaping him as he relaxed under Nick’s weight. The lamplight caught his eyes as he looked up at Nick, the green reflecting and mixing with the blue. Nick nipped at Kelly’s lips and the scruff on his jaw. “When are you going to tell me how that works?”

"Do I really need to explain sex to you? Because…"

"No, genius, your eyes." Nick bit at his ear, grinning at the harsh intake of air.

Kelly laughed, his hands finding their way under Nick’s shirt to trace the corded muscles of his back. “Proprietary secret.”

"Bullshit."

Kelly just shrugged, the tip of his tongue poking through his teeth when he grinned. Nick’s eyes narrowed, his smile spreading slowly as he felt Kelly’s heart rate pick up. “You’re just looking to get in trouble, aren’t you?” he growled.

His eyes went wide, the shimmer spreading and deepening until they were nearly mirrors. He bit his bottom lip as he arched off the bed and brushed his nose along Nick’s cheek. “Maybe.”

 What little remained of Nick’s control snapped and he grabbed Kelly’s hair, jerking his head to one side while he covered Kelly’s mouth with his own, assaulting him with lips, tongue, and teeth. Kelly fought back, grabbing, clutching, digging his fingers in so hard, Nick was sure he’d have bruises. He bit down on Kelly’s lower lip and dove in for another kiss, pushing him hard into the bed. His heart somersaulted into his stomach at Kelly’s moans and he loved, absolutely loved, that he still had this effect on Kelly after all these years.

"Fuck yes," Kelly whispered.

"What, last night wasn’t enough for you?" Nick ran his teeth along Kelly’s neck and bit down on the juncture of his throat and shoulder.

Kelly gasped and arched up. “Never enough.”

"Needy."

"You love it."

"Stop talking," Nick ordered as he hooked his arms under Kelly’s shoulders and pushed him further up the bed so he could stretch out over him. He groaned as Kelly spread his legs so Nick could settle comfortably between them. He pinned Kelly’s arms to the bed with his own and kissed him messily, biting at his lips and tongue, a growl rumbling low in his throat. Kelly bit back and wrapped his legs around Nick’s waist, putting up a token struggle but not really trying to get free. Nick ground his hips against Kelly’s.

Hard. Fast. Rough.

Just the way they both liked it.

A burst of static from the copper box mounted on the wall caused Nick to curse.

"Ignore it," Kelly whimpered. "Please."

Nick glared at the box as the static died down and Zane’s voice rumbled through. “We’re landing in ten minutes. Everyone up top.”

He sighed, dropping his forehead to Kelly’s neck. “It’s like they know when I’m about to get laid.”

"I think you’re right." Kelly’s hands continued their roaming and he slid one bare foot up Nick’s thigh. "Ten minutes, huh?" He pushed his hips against Nick’s, seeking friction.

Nick closed his eyes and blew out a steadying breath. He pushed up on all fours and tugged at Kelly’s shirt. “You have ten seconds to lose this before it gets torn.”

~*~

Zane adjusted the mask over his face as he followed Ty through the crowd. Nick kept pace with Zane, his broad shoulders plowing a path for Kelly, who followed behind, seeming disinterested in his surroundings. Zane knew better and caught sight of Kelly’s hand flicking this way and that. He’d have a pocket full of trinkets and cash in about a half hour. Kelly glanced at Zane and smirked, then quickened his pace to catch up to Nick, brushing his shoulder as he passed. Nick’s fingers grazed Kelly’s arm as Nick moved to the other side of him, keeping Kelly on his right.

Zane glanced behind him. Digger and Elias had stopped a few stalls back and were in a discussion with the vendor. Owen had stayed with the ship. He hated crowds. Preferred the comfort and safety of the dark depths of the airship. Zane didn’t blame him. He almost wished he’d stayed behind, too. He preferred the quiet. Honestly, he preferred the privacy of his cabin with Ty. And only Ty. He loved his crew. He’d take a bullet and more for any of them. But, lately, he’d been wanting more and more alone time with Ty.

The open air market that took up seventy percent of Morocco was a cacophony of color, sound, smell, and sensory overload. Even with his mask filtering the air for his weakened lungs, Zane still caught the aromas of food, sweat, animals, wood smoke, leather, hot metal, and perfume. The vendors who couldn’t afford the rent on buildings had constructed stalls from found materials—tents, crates, metal poles, pieces of wrecked vehicles, burned out hulls of ships. Airships coasted overhead, some flying too low for comfort, others sailing far into the clouds. Single-manned wind riders zipped through the air, their shape a direct copy of seabound wind surfers. Children ran through the crowds, laughing and shrieking. Vendors shouted at passersby, hawking wares they either fashioned or procured illegitimately. Locals sat on rooftops, feet dangling over the edges. He heard more languages than he could count. Music came from multiple sources.

This is what you missed living in the clouds.

Life.

He paused next to a rather large patchwork canvas tent advertising custom motorcycles.

"Oh, captain my captain," Nick drawled. "Your better half got distracted by something shiny."

Zane ignored them as he squatted next to an older model. The frame looked solid. Her panels were mismatched and some of the inner gearwork and compressors were visible. But she was sleek and silver and copper and probably one of the more beautiful things he’d ever seen.

"No." Ty’s gruff voice preceded the shadow he threw over the bike.

Zane looked up and slowly rose to his full height, his chest skimming Ty’s as he did. “Really?”

Ty’s jaw tightened and Zane knew he was fighting a physical reaction. “We live on an airship. Where are you going to ride it?”

"We land some of the time." He kept his voice low and his gaze pinned on Ty’s.

"Seriously? You want a bike?" Ty eyed the motorcycle like it was going to rear up and bite him.

Zane tilted his head, not bothering to move out of Ty’s personal space. He snaked his hand under Ty’s duster and hooked two fingers into the waistband of his pants. “You want me to beg?”

"Always." Ty smirked and Zane knew he’d won. "On our way back if she’s still here." He pointed a finger right in Zane’s face. "You owe me."

Every muscle in Zane’s body strung tighter than steel cabling at the gravel in Ty’s voice. Nick made a show of rolling his eyes as they continued down the crowded path. “Who captains who on this ship?” he muttered.

"It’s Friday," Zane answered mildly as they turned down a narrow alleyway.

Nick snorted but said nothing. Kelly smiled as he stared up at the buildings around them, his face scrunching up as he probably wondered how well he could climb them if given an opportunity.

At least the man was wearing shoes today.

They approached a large stone building with no windows and a single door. No sign labeled what it was but the four men walked right up to the door and waiting while Ty rapped his knuckles twice on the dark wood. They heard the clanking of several locks and the door cracked open a hair. Ty grinned. “Hey, darlin’.”

The door eased open and a little slip of a blond leaned on the door frame, her arms folded over her chest. Long legs encased in leather pants with visible steel boning and a steel clockwork corset over a dark blouse would have put her easily on their ship. Zane knew the clothing was more than for allure and show. It was armor. These markets were dangerous.

She arched a slim eyebrow at Ty. “What are you doing here?”

"Aw, come on, Livi. You know you’re happy to see me."

Instead of answering, she moved to one side to let them in. “Don’t touch anything.” She poked Kelly’s chest with one slim finger. “That goes especially for you.”

"Don’t touch him," Nick muttered as he walked in the shop. Kelly shrugged one shoulder and followed, pushing his glasses onto his head in the darkness of the interior.

Zane was the last to enter. “Deuce around?”

Livi closed and relocked the door. “He’s in the back.”

"How’s he doing?"

She shrugged. “Leg’s bothering him but he can still move around okay.”

He nodded.

"Whoa!" Ty shouted and backed away from the corner. "I thought you got rid of that fucking thing!"

"What thing?" Nick pulled a gun from his coat. Kelly was already smiling at a dark corner, clearly able to see what they couldn’t. He put a hand on Nick’s arm and shook his head.

"Christ, you guys. Babies, I swear." Livi pushed Ty out of the way as a large silver panther came slinking out of the shadows. It was fully clockwork and a downright beautiful creature. Even Zane had to admit that even as Ty backed away with a murderous look on his face. It stood about waist-height and was a matte silver color, with exposed gears at the joints and blue LEDs for the eyes. Its spine was an exposed chain of cylinders, all linked together and running from the base of its steel skull to the tip of its long tail, which flicked back and forth as it padded up to them.

"You still have him?" Nick squatted and held out a hand, a grin on his face. Put any gadget of any type in front of Nick and he was a goner.

Livi rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Barnum, be good.”

Barnum rumbled a little as he walked right up to Nick and set his chin in Nick’s hand.

"Where’s Bailey?" Kelly asked as he knelt next to Nick but kept his hands to himself.

Livi shook her head, sadness flitting across her pretty face. “I’ll go get Deuce.”

Ty didn’t acknowledge her. He stared at the panther with an ill-disguised look of mistrust on his face. “I hate that thing.”

"Clearly," Zane murmured. "Stop staring at him."

Any retort Ty had ready to fire back was cut off by a thudding-shuffle from the back room. Ty smiled at the figure in the doorway. “Hey, Deuce.”

Before the Great Wars of the twenty-second and twenty-third centuries—before the restrictions on advanced technology enacted by most provinces in the twenty-fourth century—androids became the mainstream. They became the soldiers. They became the factory workers. They became the ones who went into dangerous situations. It was all an effort to protect life, they said. But the androids were more sentient than folks gave them credit for.

Turns out, Ancillary Worker Golems had the most sentience of any of their counterparts, especially Version 2.0. The AWGs, or “Auggies” as they affectionately came to be called, started showing higher brain functions and emotions. The Great Wars nearly wiped them all out, the survivors appropriated by the various provincial governments to serve the elite classes. Occasionally, you’d come across one on the ground, in the market, in an alley, in a bar. But, for the most part, they looked and acted human, so no one ever knew.

Then came the technology ban and androids went from servants of the elite to outcasts and prey. Bounty hunters rounded them up in droves, selling them for scrap parts. Androids were accused of fabricated crimes and executed.

Ty and Nick had found an Auggie when they were fifteen and adopted him. Since he was a Version 2.0, Ty took to calling him Deuce, and the name stuck. They even gave him the option of serving on Sidewinder, but Deuce declined, preferring the ground. An accident burned a lot of the synthetic skin from his body and damaged his leg so he walked with a significant limp. However, Deuce was smart. Crazy smart. Just about every black market trader and thief knew his name and came to him for information. No one knew how he got it or what exactly his little shop _did_ on a normal day or even what Livi did for him, but no one asked. Everyone respected Deuce’s privacy and, in return, he kept all their secrets.

Deuce leaned in the doorway, wiping his hands off with a rag. “Boys.” He jerked his head toward the back and turned away, his limp more pronounced than Zane’d ever seen it. They followed, leaving Livi and Barnum in the main room.

The back room was large enough for all of them comfortably, yet somewhat claustrophobic because of the lack of windows. Deuce glanced at Kelly and dimmed the lamps a little. He cupped Kelly’s chin and tilted his head this way and that. “How are they doing?”

Kelly hitched a shoulder. “Fine.” He grinned cheekily at Nick’s raised eyebrow and busied himself poking among a stack of books on a counter that ran the length of one wall.

Deuce eased into a chair and thunked his feet on the desk, crossing one ankle over the other. The overhead lamplight cast a harsh glow across the mottled expanse of his half metallic, half synthetic-skin face. His dark hair fell across his face, obscuring most of metal on his scalp. Tiny pistons were visible in his throat. One entire arm was completely free of skin, a worn and beaten-up display of advanced titanium robotics and copper clockwork repairs. The crew had joked on many occasions that he and Ty could be brothers with their mechanical arms.

"Why not just peel the rest of it off?" Ty motioned to the skin on Deuce’s face.

"And mess with this level of beauty?" he retorted with a macabre grin.

Zane snorted. “How’s the leg?”

Deuce wagged his head back and forth. “About the same. Got a bead on some parts so I might be able to repair it finally. However, you didn’t drop by to ask about my leg.”

"No?" Ty flipped a chair around backward and straddled it. "We can’t just check on an old friend?"

"Fuck. What did you do, Ty?" Deuce rubbed his face with his more human-like hand.

"Why do you assume I did something?"

"Because you’re wanted in eight provinces, that’s why. What did you do?"

"Only eight?" Ty glanced at Zane. "We’re slacking."

Zane nodded. “I’ll put it on the to-do list.”

"Too much fucking probably," Kelly piped up from the corner.

"No such thing," Nick countered.

"I really don’t need to know that about any of you," Deuce interrupted.

Kelly held up a book. “Can I have this?”

Ty and Nick stared at him. Zane bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

Kelly looked at all of them. “What? I don’t steal from frie—”

Nick coughed and raised his eyebrows. Kelly huffed. “Okay, I wanted to try asking.”

"Did it hurt? Do you need to sit down?" Ty asked.

Zane chuckled before he could stop himself.

Kelly shifted. “Yeah, I’m not a fan.”

Deuce snorted and waved a hand. “Take any of them you want.”

Kelly frowned at the stack of books. “Well, it’s no fun if you give me permission.”

Deuce blinked at Kelly for a moment then turned back to Ty. “Well?”

Ty tossed the slim object on the desk. “We were paid to retrieve that.”

"By who?" Deuce picked it up and examined it.

"Baron of Britannia."

"Huh."

Zane frowned. “You don’t seem surprised.”

Deuce shook his head as he continued his inspection. “Word’s out right now that he’s got quite a few merc crews looking for things for him. No one knows why, though.” He stood and crossed to a workbench on another wall. He flipped on a white halogen and angled it away from the corner where Kelly sat with the books. “This, however, is very interesting.”

"What is it?"

Deuce flipped it over several times then pressed the end at the same time as he squeezed both sides. A small silver connector flipped out of the end. “Ah. Yes.”

"What the fuck is that?" Ty walked over and peered at it.

"I haven’t seen one of these in ages," Deuce murmured mostly to himself. "But why would the Baron want this? He can’t use it unless he has…"

Zane arched an eyebrow. “Unless he has what?”

"Hmm? Oh! It’s a USB drive. They were used a couple centuries back to store information. You plug it into a computer, put whatever you want on it, then off you go." Deuce pushed the connector back into the housing and handed it to Ty.

Ty exchanged a look with Zane. “Can you read it?” he asked Deuce.

He shook his head. “Auggies never had USB ports. We came after. You’d have to find an actual twenty-first century computer or an older model android with a functioning USB port.”

"Can we build a computer?" Ty looked at Nick.

Nick rubbed his jaw. “Maybe. If I had the right parts. But, really? You want to build a computer?”

"We’ve done crazier things," Ty said as he frowned at the drive in his hands.

"True." Nick looked at Zane. "What do you think?"

Honestly, Zane had a cramped feeling in his gut about the drive. Part of him wanted to just return the damn thing and get the money they were promised. But he’d always been curious about technology, though not on Nick’s level. Plus, the tidbit about multiple mercs hired out to fetch things set his hair on end.

"If we can build a computer, let’s do it. I also want to know what the other crews were sent to fetch."

Ty nodded. “Same.” He tapped the drive on the brim of his hat as a salute. “Thanks, Deuce.”

Deuce nodded. “Anytime.”

"Oh, and Deuce?" Zane paused as the others left the room.

Deuce held up a hand. “You were never here.”

Zane inclined his head in thanks.

In the main room, Ty gave Barnum a wide berth. He nodded to Livi as he followed Nick and Kelly out. Zane followed, shutting the door behind him. Ty looked at the sky as he tucked the drive in his pocket. “Want to see if we can find computer parts here or you know a better place?”

Nick fiddled with the buckles on his leather wrist cuffs. “I’d rather leave. Too many folks have seen us.”

Ty shifted his weight as he thought. Zane glanced at the end of the alleyway. “Shit.”

"What?" Ty spun around right as two familiar hulking figures stepped into the alley. "Well, fuck. So much for them being in Britannia."

"How did they know we were here?" Kelly hissed as they ducked into a space between two buildings.

"Fucked if I know. Would you like to go ask them?" Ty shot back. Zane laid a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"We split up," Zane said. "Nick, take Kelly and head north through the main part of the market. Ty and I will head south. We’ll circle around and meet at the ship."

"What about Elias and Digger?" Nick asked.

"If you see them, tell them to head back." Zane checked the knives in his wrist sheaths and strapped to his thighs.

Ty grabbed Nick’s arm. “Don’t get dead.”

Nick nodded once, and he and Kelly disappeared down the alley. Moments later, shots rang out.

Ty pulled a gun from his duster pocket. He grinned at Zane. “Blaze of glory?”

"After you, baby."


	3. It Burns

One of the advantages of having a friend and shipmate who could build you an automaton arm to replace the one blown off by a bounty hunter’s gun four years ago was that said friend could also build accessories for that arm.

Namely a gun.

Ty ripped the leather cover off his mechanical arm, grimacing as the cloth tore in two places. He muttered a faint curse and tossed the pieces to the side as he ran. He pressed a panel on the inside of the forearm. It depressed and slid to one side. He ducked down another alley, reaching into his arm and pressing two small buttons on the left side of the opening. A lever engaged and, with a protesting screech of gears, a gun barrel unfolded, extended, and slapped into his palm, clipping into place. Another panel on his wrist flipped open, a copper cuff locking around the barrel to provide extra support. His index finger collapsed in on itself, sharpening to a slim point that fit perfectly into the triggering mechanism along the side. The rest of his fingers curled around the barrel, fitting into etched grooves that molded his hand to the weapon. A quick glance at the green-lit gauge near his elbow told him all he needed to know.

His arm was now a fully loaded shotgun.

A hand closed around his arm and Zane jerked him into an alcove barely big enough for the two of them. He was breathing hard, his chest hitching. Ty frowned as his mind spun with possible solutions to their problem. “You gonna make it, Garrett?”

Zane glared at him over the top of the mask.

Ty bent his head and listened, waiting for the telltale sounds of footfalls. “How many?”

"I counted five. Smith and Wesson split up when we did. One of them went after Nick and Kelly. Plus they have help. Looked like Spaniards." Zane’s voice was harsh and graveled.

"Fucking hate Spaniards." Ty looked around the alleyway as much as he could without giving away their location. "We could climb. Go across the rooftops."

"Too exposed."

Ty opened his mouth to retort when Zane put two fingers over Ty’s lips and shook his head. Ty batted his hand away but kept his mouth shut. The rigid set of Zane’s broad shoulders and the straightening of his spine told him everything he needed to know. Zane’s hearing was far better than Ty’s, and Ty’d come to trust it more than almost anything else.

Almost.

Zane’s body was angled in front of Ty’s, blocking a direct view to the alley. After the longest three seconds of Ty’s life, he heard the shuffling footsteps of someone taking their sweet time sweeping the narrow corridor. Ty raised his gun arm across his chest and arched an eyebrow at Zane. Zane’s dark eyes scrunched with a grin behind his mask and he braced his palms on the wall on either side of Ty’s head. To the casual observer, they looked like a couple stealing a moment of intimate privacy. Ty ducked his chin so his hat hid most of his face but he could still look over Zane’s shoulder. A shadow stretched and lengthened across the stone wall.

"Oorah," he growled as Zane stepped to one side and Ty swung the gun over in one fluid motion. The boom filled the tiny space of their alcove, and the kick knocked Ty’s shoulder into the wall. The bullet caught the Spaniard in the chest, but the sound would attract a hell of a lot more unwanted attention. Zane twirled two knives over his fingers as they took off at a jog.

The alleyways of Morocco were a claustrophobic maze of blind turns and dark corners. Every sound had Ty’s hair on end and his senses heightened. It didn’t help that every shop and residence in the vicinity had its back doors dotting the alley walls. They had no way of knowing if a shadow or a footstep was one of their pursuers or a local.

The explosion came from his left, shattering a door and launching the shrapnel at them. The blowback threw them against the opposite wall. Ty shook his head to clear the ringing. He scrambled to his feet, his boots scraping against wood and stone debris littering the ground. Through the smoke and fire, he found Zane and hauled him to his feet. “Go! Go!”

They stumbled down the narrow alley, fighting for breath and clear vision the entire way. Shadows danced at the corners of Ty’s sightline, but he pushed on. Zane coughed and held his side but kept pace. Gunshots rang out, blasting divots in the walls as they ran. Ty cursed loudly as one punched through the sleeve of his duster. He loved this coat.

They burst out of the alley onto a crowded street. Ty spun full-circle, orienting himself. The faint groan stole his attention. “Whoa!” He grabbed for Zane as the other man stumbled and sagged. “Zane?”

"Fine. I’m fine." Zane tried to push Ty’s hands away.

"Fuck that," Ty hissed and dragged him over to a tent, daring the owner with his glare to say a word. He pulled the flap down for privacy and manhandled Zane into a chair, running his hands over him and ignoring the protests. He found the spreading patch of blood on Zane’s right side. "When the fuck were you going to tell me you’d been shanked with shrapnel?"

"Ty, I’ve been shanked with shrapnel." Zane ripped his mask off and took a deep gulp of air.

Ty swallowed his smartass reply at the tight lines of his lover’s face and the sweat on his brow. “Christ, you can’t breathe?”

"A little worse than usual," Zane admitted. He yanked his shirt up, grimacing at the gash just under his ribs. "It’s not deep. Just hurts like hell." He picked a few small bits of wood and stone out of the wound, his jaw clenched tight.

Ty rocked back on his heels. He grabbed a bit of cloth lying on a nearby table and pressed it against Zane’s side. “That’s all we can do until I can get you to Kelly.”

"I’m fine. Come on." Zane lurched to his feet, wavering for a second, then ducked out.

Ty rummaged through the numerous pockets of his duster, making a triumphant noise when he found the tiny leather coin pouch. He tossed it at the wide-eyed owner standing in a corner. “You didn’t see us.”

The guy caught it and nodded, his eyes wide. “You’re Captain Grady of Sidewinder.”

Ty grinned and touched the brim of his hat. He slid out of the tent and came to a dead stop. “No. Hell no. Fuck no.”

Zane tilted his head and revved the motorbike once. “Get on.”

"No." Ty handed him his mask.

Zane snapped it over his mouth and arched an eyebrow. “Can’t walk. Can’t breathe. Get on the goddamn bike or you carry me.”

"Fucking hell," Ty grumbled as he swung a leg over the beast of a machine and snugged up to Zane’s back. The bike wasn’t really built for two but the seat was long enough that they both fit if Zane sat far forward. The monstrous wheels had deep treads made especially for rough terrain. "Where are we taking this thing?"

Zane anchored them with a foot and spun the back wheel in a wide arc, taking off down a side street devoid of people. Ty flailed and wrapped his good arm around Zane’s waist, using it to apply pressure to the rend in his side. The machine roared and threw off arcs of harmless blue lightning around his legs. Ty eyed them nervously but didn’t say a word—not that his complaining would even be heard. Or acknowledged.

A harmony of answering roars echoed down the street behind them. Ty glanced back. “We have company!”

"You have a gun for an arm, don’t you?" Zane yelled.

"How about you pedal faster?" Ty retorted as he bent his arm, resting the barrel on his shoulder and bracing the elbow on Zane’s back. He made a note to ask Nick to install a damn mirror so he could see where he was shooting. He turned his face away from the gun and fired, flinching at the boom. He yanked the duster sleeve up and cursed at the yellow light on his elbow. "Two more shots!"

"Save ‘em! Hold on!"

Ty barely had enough time to tighten his hold before the bike swerved sharply to the side and Zane negotiated them down a stone staircase. Bullets pinged off the metal railing. At the bottom, Zane paused, looking both ways, then took off south toward the docks. He maneuvered the beast of a bike through the crowds and around stacks of crates. The road cleared enough for them to pick up speed, rumbling down a plankboard path. More gunshots rang out, clipping things to either side of them. Pain spiked in Ty’s thigh and he breathed through it, not able to deal with a bullet wound at this magical moment. He hoped it hadn’t hit anything vital. Zane must have noticed his jerk because he glanced over his shoulder with worried eyes. Ty shook his head and motioned with his chin to keep going.

Two sleek, silver motorcycles pulled up on either side, guns leveled at them. Ty growled and fired at the front wheel of one. It blew, flipping the bike in the air and into a stack of shipping crates. Zane’s wrist flicked out at the other, a knife sailing into the throat of the Spaniard driving. The bike tipped and spun to the side as the driver fell off, slamming into a building and erupting into flames.

Yeah, that wasn’t going to attract a ton of attention.

As they rounded a corner, Zane barked a curse and wrenched the bike hard to one side. Ty caught sight of the three bikes waiting for them and the guns aimed at them right before their bike tipped. They hit the ground hard and slid. Ty let go of Zane and rolled to his other side, pushing himself up on all fours. Their bike took out one of the others and Ty scrambled to his feet to get to Zane, who was braced on one elbow on the ground, his face tight with pain.

Pain exploded in the left side of his face, knocking him back a few steps, and someone howled, letting off a string of curses in a foreign language. Ty chuckled and spat blood into the dirt. “That side of my jaw is plated, boys. I wouldn’t recommend hitting it again.”

"Fuck you, Grady."

"You’re not really my type." Ty rolled his shoulders back and lifted his chin at whichever twin stared him down. He kept his arms down, noting the three guns pointed at him and Zane, who had managed to move to press his back to Ty’s. Ty swiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "Bounty’s higher for us alive, isn’t it?"

The irritated expression on the twin’s face told him everything he needed to know. The twin walked right up to Ty, jabbing his gun in Ty’s gut. His breath smelled like rotten fish and mud and it was all Ty could do to maintain a straight face.

"Move, pirate."

"Nope." Ty felt Zane’s stance shift slightly. He kept his gaze glued to the bounty hunter.

The twin leaned in close. “I still get paid if you’re dead. Just not as much.”

"So what’s stopping you?" Ty whispered. "Maybe this?" He casually tapped his gun arm where he had it pointed directly at the twin’s groin. "Check, mate. Your move."

"This will blow a hole through both you and your partner." The twin’s voice hardened as he shoved his gun deeper into Ty’s stomach, but his eyes widened.

Ty nodded. “True. But, you shoot me, I shoot out of reflex, and you’re still down a sausage and two beans. Really, it’s a no-win situation for everyone.”

Zane shifted again, his heel knocking against Ty’s. Ty smiled slowly, enjoying the look of confusion that passed over the bounty hunter’s face. An airship roared overhead, downdrafts from its engines buffeting the docks as it hovered. Dust swirled up in great clouds. Ty and Zane moved at the same time, spinning away from the guns as they fired. Bullets smacked the ground as they ran. Ty fired his final shot over his shoulder, hoping the boom would keep their pursuers at bay. Zane’s wrist flicked as he let a knife loose and a Spaniard slumped out of a doorway, the blade protruding from his neck. Ty snatched the weapon as they passed and smacked it into Zane’s outstretched hand.

Another boom split the air ahead of them and Ty grinned. His airship was the most beautiful goddamn thing in the world. He spotted his men on the deck, guns leveled. The two pirate captains grabbed the hanging ladders and held on as the ship lifted.

~*~

Ty hauled himself over the railing and turned to help Zane. “Where’s Kelly?”

"Here." Kelly appeared, a bruise darkening one side of his face and a nasty split lower lip.

"You two okay?" Ty asked as Nick slung Zane’s other arm over his shoulders and helped move him away from the railing. Nick had a cut across his neck that looked suspiciously like a bullet graze. His knuckles were bloody and he was favoring one leg.

"We’re fine," Nick replied tightly. Kelly glanced at him nervously and back to Ty.

They got Zane to the medical room on the lower level. He was conscious but quiet, conserving energy against the blood loss and whatever else happened to him. Nick pushed Ty into a chair. “Sit, gimpy.”

"Bite me, O."

The corner of Nick’s mouth curled but it vanished just as quick. Kelly shot Nick another look before bending over Zane to take a look at the gash in his side.

"What’s going on?" Ty wrenched off his duster and threw his hat on a chair. He ran his hand through his hair a few times, sure it was sticking up on all ends.

Nick’s face turned positively murderous, his jaw tight, arms folded across his barrel chest. Kelly shook his head tightly at Ty, pressing his lips together. He busied himself cleaning and stitching Zane, who watched the exchange with dark eyes.

"Nick?" Ty asked again. "What happened?"

"We got cornered." Nick rolled his neck and blew out a harsh breath. "Burns saved our asses."

"Burns?"

"Fuck," Zane muttered. He’d switched out his mask for a breathing machine Kelly handed him.

Nick nodded. “Said he wanted to talk to you.”

Ty stared at him, horror growing in his gut as something clunked into place. “Wait, no, he’s not—”

"He’s in the cabin with Digger and Elias. They’re keeping an eye on him."

"What the fuck, Nick?" Ty exploded up, ignoring the sharp stab of pain in his leg.

"We would’ve been dead or captured without him," Kelly said quietly. He patted Zane’s leg and moved to Ty, pushing him toward another exam table. "Pants."

"Not gonna buy me dinner first?" Ty snapped as he shucked his pants off.

"Appreciate the offer, captain, but I’m taken," Kelly muttered dryly as he started cleaning off the bullet hole in the side of Ty’s thigh.

Ty ignored him and glared at Nick, who lifted his chin and arched an eyebrow. “It was Burns or the hunters, Ty.”

"So you shoot Burns."

Nick barked a laugh. “Right. Shoot the black market boss of Morocco. Fucking brilliant idea, Grady.”

Well, yeah, that was true. If they killed Burns, they’d have hell to deal with in the form of the vast majority of the black market traders on their asses. Not to mention being dragged into a turf war as new leaders tried to take control. Ty huffed and stared at his mechanical arm. He pushed the buttons to return it to normal and watched the mechanism shudder back into place.

"Did that work okay?" Nick asked quietly.

Ty nodded. “Needs a reload.” He grimaced and shot a look at Kelly.

"Hold the fuck still," Kelly murmured as he extracted the bullet.

"Ty, go talk to Burns," Zane spoke up. His voice shot through Ty’s body like hot oil.

Ty didn’t answer while Kelly finished bandaging up his leg. When he was done, Ty jerked his head to the door and shimmied back into his pants. Nick’s face was still hard but he nodded and followed Kelly out of the room. Ty moved to the side of Zane’s bed, his eyes skating down the long lines and rough edges of the man he loved with every part of his being. “How bad this time? And don’t you fucking lie to me.”

Zane shrugged a shoulder. “New lungs would be nice.”

Ty muttered a curse and leaned his forehead against Zane’s temple, breathing in the smells of sweat, smoke, leather, and something else that was uniquely Zane. “We never picked up your motorcycle.”

Zane’s shoulders shook in silent laughter. His hand cupped the back of Ty’s neck. “You owe me.”

"You want me to beg?" Ty echoed Zane’s earlier question.

"Always," he said softly.

They were quiet a moment longer, just existing in a stolen moment alone. Ty fidgeted with the edge of Zane’s shirt. “Twins almost got all four of us.”

Zane nodded. “Them getting help isn’t a good sign.”

"They’ve never gotten help before." Ty pulled away so he could look at Zane’s face. Zane’s brow scrunched in thought, his eyes large and dark and assessing.

"We’re stepping in something big here." Zane slid his fingers into the spaces between Ty’s and squeezed. "We could drop it."

"Cut and run?" Ty asked softly.

"Disappear. Find another job. World’s a big place and we haven’t been banned from all of it yet." Zane looked down at their woven fingers. "I have a bad feeling about this one, Ty."

Ty smiled sadly. “We could head across the ocean and vanish in the Americas.”

Zane chuckled. “I was thinking Japan. We could get some of those really awesome fan sails for the ship.”

Ty ground his molars. “Let me go see what Burns wants. Then we can decide. You stay here and teach your body how to breathe.” Before Zane could protest, Ty captured his mouth in a fierce kiss, clutching at his shirt and pulling him close. Zane gave as good as he got, grabbing the back of Ty’s head with his free hand, his breath exhaling harshly against Ty’s cheek. Lips and tongues slid together. There was an edge of quiet desperation to the kiss, almost a manic energy in the way they held onto each other. Ty bit down on Zane’s lip as he pulled away, breathing hard. Zane’s eyes were shut and he released Ty’s hair, his fingers sliding down Ty’s face. “Go before I drag you onto this table.”

Ty smirked and pressed his nose into Zane’s cheek. “Save that thought.” He grabbed his duster and headed to the door.

"Ty?" Zane’s voice stopped him. He turned. Zane had the breathing machine in one hand and was watching Ty fondly. "Love you."

The two words washed through Ty, balling up in his chest and making his throat tight. He nodded. “Love you.”

~*~

Kelly watched Ty limp into the main cabin. The already thick tension ramped up to an uncomfortable level with his arrival. Nick slouched in a chair next to Kelly, his pose looking relaxed but he knew better. Nick’s tight shoulders and muscle jumping on his jaw gave away exactly how pissed off his lover was. He perched on a shelf and rested his knee against Nick’s shoulder, hoping his presence would calm the storm brewing in the larger man. He usually could assuage the temper, but given everything they’d gone through today already, he wasn’t sure.

Nick was already grumpy after their time this morning was cut short. Denying the man sex was never a good idea. Not to mention getting cornered by one of the bounty twins and four fucking Spaniards. Icing on the cake was being rescued by Burns of all people, who now sat at their table with a smug expression. Nick would need an outlet for the frustration or he was liable to shoot someone. Kelly’s chest fluttered at the thought. He was going to get absolutely mauled.

And he was going to love every second.

Elias sat at the table with Burns, his glower never moving. Digger and Owen leaned against the wall by the door in case things got heated and Burns tried to make a quick getaway. The guns in their hands helped reinforce the situation.

His smile slid off his face when Ty sat in the chair at the head of the table. Ty only ever used that chair when he wanted to intimidate. It was an ornate armchair that sat a little higher than the other chairs. With the lamps directly behind Ty’s shoulders, he was thrown into dark relief, the shadows across his face longer and more lethal looking. He looked troubled, but Kelly was sure he was the only one who could see it with his mysteriously-better-than-average eyesight. He chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking back to how Zane’s lungs had sounded. He frowned at his knees, turning the problem over and over in his head, trying to figure out a way to make it easier for Zane to be on ground level. It was hard enough for someone with healthy lungs to breathe in all the shit in the air down there—never mind someone who had acid smoke damage and that much scarring.

"Burns." Ty’s voice was low and deadly.

Burns looked unperturbed. He languished in the chair, his bald head reflecting the lamplight. His clothes were the nicest things on the the entire ship.

Well, except for the pocket watch Kelly’d relieved him of when they’d boarded. But who was keeping track?

"Tyler," Burns drawled.

"That’s Captain Grady to you."

"Oh, Ty. Is that any way to greet an old friend? Or the man who saved your boys’ asses here?"

Nick actually growled. Kelly leaned forward and slid his fingers into the curls at the base of Nick’s neck, moving slowly and praying to whatever deity might be out there that he could keep the beast calm for the moment. It took a lot to push Nick to his limit but, once he was there, god help you.

Ty snorted. “I’m sure you didn’t help them out of the kindness of your heart. What’s the game?”

Burns sniffed, his demeanor morphing to business when he realized no one was in the mood for small talk. “The Baron of Britannia is after some objects.”

Ty simply stared at Burns, his face passive.

"I’ve heard you were sent to retrieve one of them."

"I’ve heard all my men here are ghosts and have personally bedded anything with a pulse in the entire eastern hemisphere," Ty said easily. "One of those things might be exaggeration."

"Yeah, it was only half," Owen smirked.

"Been busy." Digger smiled wide.

"I like being a ghost, though." Elias leaned back in his chair and winked at Burns.

"Point being," Ty interrupted. "Rumors are thick on the ground. Even thicker in the air."

"True," Burns drew out slowly. "However, I have witnesses putting you at the explosion in New Shanghai. And the item the Baron wanted from that location is missing." He held up a hand before anyone could say anything. "I don’t care whether or not you were there. What I do care about is the list of items he wants."

"What about it?" Ty asked.

"I want them instead. And I’m prepared to double what you’d be paid for them."

Kelly blinked. Nick tensed under Kelly’s fingers but gave nothing else away.

"What do you want with them?" Elias asked.

"That’s none of your business," Burns said.

Ty snorted. “It’s my business when you ask me to risk the lives of my men for you.”

Burns stared at Ty for a long moment then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Here’s the full list. I’m sure you can figure it out.” He slid the paper across the table and stood fluidly. “I’ll be on the ground attending to some other business. Send word of your decision by nightfall.”

Ty stared at the paper but made no move to grab it. He motioned to Owen and Digger, who led Burns from the room. Ty reached over the comm box on the wall and flipped it open. “Zane, can you come up here?”

"What are you thinking, Ty?" Elias asked.

Ty shook his head, his brow furrowed. He rocked imperceptibly in his chair, staring at the table.

Zane, Digger, and Owen appeared a few minutes later. Ty motioned to the paper. “That’s the full list of what the Baron wants.”

"Oh?" Zane picked it up and scanned it, his eyes widening. He handed it to Owen, who whistled. Nick held out a hand for the list.

"Burns wants it too?" Zane asked. Ty nodded.

Nick held the piece of paper up so Kelly could read over his shoulder. His heart fell to his toes as he read over the items. “Is this for real?”

Zane nodded. “If either Baron or Burns gets their hands on all of that, plus what I’m now guessing are instructions on that USB drive we have—”

"They’ll build a bomb," Owen finished quietly.

"Not just any bomb," Nick said. "That would decimate an entire province in one go. Whoever held the trigger to that?"

"Motherfucking king of the world," Digger snorted.

Ty rubbed his face. “Right. We have some options. One, we return the damn drive to the Baron and be on our way. Two, we collect the whole list and keep it away from him, which means we’ll be confronting other merc ships. Three, we collect it for Burns.”

There was a rousing chorus of _fuck no_ and _no way in hell_ and _over my dead fucking body_ at that last one.

"Ty," Zane said quietly.

Ty sighed, meeting Zane’s eyes. “Or we cut and run.”

The cabin grew silent.

"Are you serious?" Nick asked, his voice quiet.

"This is huge, O. Bigger than us. Baron and the black market boss on our asses plus the twins and their new friends breathing down our necks. We could destroy the drive and disappear. Head overseas to Greenland or something."

Nick didn’t answer, just rubbed his thumb over his lip as he sat back in his chair.

Ty looked at everyone in turn. “We’ll vote and no one will think any less of anyone if they want to disappear.”

Kelly swallowed and slid his hand onto Nick’s shoulder. Nick reached back and grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. Kelly closed his eyes as the choices were rattled off again and raised his hand for the one he thought would be best for him. Best for Nick.

Best for his family.


	4. Two For the Price of One

"Hey!"

Kelly didn’t stop walking until he’d reached the cabin he and Nick shared on the topmost level of the ship. He smacked the door open and stalked in, wincing at the too-bright lamplight. He spun the dimmer on the wall without looking and massaged his temples. That plus the punches to his face from that damn bounty hunter had bloomed into one mother of a headache.

"What the fuck, Kelly?" Nick slammed the door shut.

Kelly dropped his hand and stared at Nick with a bored expression. “I’m tired and my head hurts. My lip’s bleeding again. Explain with more detail or I’m going to bed.” Of course, he knew exactly why Nick was upset, but was so irritated at getting jumped earlier that he didn’t care.

Nick folded his arms and Kelly forced himself to not watch the way the myriad of tattoos moved and stretched across the tanned skin revealed by Nick’s very well-fitted T-shirt. He swallowed and ground his molars so hard his jaw ached. In an ideal world, he’d be tracing the black and red scrolling designs that covered both shoulders and biceps with his tongue instead of standing here launching into an argument. He’d be counting the black bands and dots circling Nick’s left forearm that represented his thirty years.

"Why did you vote to cut and run?" Nick growled.

"Christ, Nick." Kelly turned away and peeled his bloodied shirt off, grimacing at the bruising along his side. He ran his teeth over the piercings in his lip, waiting for Nick to continue. When he didn’t, Kelly sighed and dropped his head. "I just want us to be safe." He rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to indulge the nugget of guilt in his gut. "I’m a fucking thief. I’m not…not a hero." He slowly turned around. Nick hadn’t moved, the glower hadn’t softened. "Why does that piss you off?"

Nick blinked at him, his lips parting slightly in surprise.

Kelly waved a hand. “Forget it. It is what it is. We’re going after the bomb parts and everyone who’s anyone is on our asses. Sounds like a goddamn party.” He didn’t care that his tone drowned in sarcastic venom. He knew he’d be outvoted, but he never thought Nick would give him shit for it. That, oddly enough, sent a spike of hurt through him. He made dumb decisions all the time, but Nick always backed him up.

He pulled a variety of random items from his pockets and threw them on the dresser. A watch. A coin purse. A few rings. A wallet. Two knives. A bag of randomly sized gears he thought Nick would like. He stared at the gears while he spun the heavy silver ring on his thumb. He didn’t regret voting to run. He wasn’t a coward, but he knew how to read odds.

"You’d really rather run?" Nick’s voice was quiet, disbelieving.

Kelly probed the split in his lip gently as he turned around. “Honest? Yeah. I kinda like my ass alive, thanks. And yours, in case you’re wondering.”

Nick sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing a thumb back and forth across his eyebrow. Kelly knew all his tells and that one was a sure sign of Nick wrestling with his temper. It’d been a hellishly long day and he’d been looking forward to nothing more than falling into bed with Nick in a tangle of arms and legs. He pinched the bridge of his nose as the headache flared, making his vision more sensitive. Even the dim lamplight felt too bright, too invasive. He wanted to burrow under a pillow and block out everything.

"But running? Really, Kels? Fucking running?"

"Babe."

"No, you really want to tuck your damn tail between your legs and disappear? You’re the best pickpocket I’ve ever met. We have a better chance of getting those pieces with you."

Kelly stiffened. “So it’s more about my skill-set than my life. Throw your boyfriend into the pit and hope he crawls out alive with the puzzle pieces. Is that it?”

"I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to," he bit out. "All you guys care about is your fucking blaze of glory. You and Ty headlong into the fray and you don’t give a damn who falls in the line of fire."

"I’m not at all like that."

"Could have fooled me." Kelly looked away.

"At least we face it time and time again."

Irritation and pain snapped something deep inside his chest. “Fuck you, Nick. Don’t you dare make this out like I’m some goddamn coward. It was a viable option and I wasn’t the only one who wanted to. I don’t see you getting all up in Digger’s face.”

"Well, I’d never call you a coward, but…" Nick’s face was as tight as his voice.

Kelly’s insides went cold. He lifted his chin and stared down the man he loved, even though it physically hurt to do so. “Love me or leave me,” he sing-songed quietly.

Nick stared at him for a long moment then left the cabin.

~*~

“What is he doing?” Ty leaned against the railing and peered up at the massive structure of gears, cabling, and the gods knew what else keeping their ship in the air.

Nick pushed his goggles up his forehead, the soot smeared on his face tracing a perfect outline on his cheeks. “Climbing. Hold still or you’ll lose your hand. Again.”

“Yeah. But why is Kelly climbing the ship?” Ty tried to hold still as Nick fiddled with the cogs and compressors holding his automaton hand together.

“I didn’t think to ask. What the fuck did you do to this?” He snapped a gear back into place.

“No idea. Didn’t work right this morning. Kept making funny noises when Zane and I—”

"Nope."

Ty grinned. “Guess I did something to it when I was running for my life. Is he wearing his life line?”

"He better be. Can you possibly go one day without me having to fix this thing?" Nick frowned at the bent joints of three fingers.

"Can you possibly make it so it doesn’t break?"

"Don’t snap at me because you had to learn how to jerk off left-handed."

Ty laughed as he craned his neck, watching Kelly scale the outside structure. “Fucking monkey.”

"Tell me about it," Nick muttered. Ty raised an eyebrow at his clipped tone. He hoped his arm wasn’t about to bear the brunt of a lovers’ spat. He rubbed his jaw, wincing at the pressure on the massive bruise coloring one side of his face. His ears had been ringing since the blast and his shoulder was killing him. It’d been four days since they’d left Morocco with the list and one goal in mind—get the bomb pieces before Burns and the Baron. It was a huge risk as they were putting the entire ship in the crosshairs of three different groups. But none of them could sit idly by while the world burned.

Nick closed the panel on Ty’s arm and rubbed his hands on his thighs. “That’ll have to do for now. I need parts, Ty. We have to swing through Britannia soon.”

"Why is it you can only get parts there?"

Nick shrugged, his attention wandering over the railing and to the clouds around them. “I know a guy.”

"I don’t want to know, do I?"

He raised an eyebrow, a slow half-grin forming.

"I don’t want to know." Ty watched his best friend for a long moment, taking note of the darker circles under his eyes and the tightness around his mouth. "What’s going on, O?"

Nick shook his head. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

"Hey." Ty bapped Nick on the shoulder with his metal hand. "I’m your friend first but I’ll pull rank if I have to. You and Kelly have been avoiding each other for days, and I know you’ve been sleeping on the deck. What the hell?"

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face and squinted up the ship, his green eyes tracking Kelly across the ropes. “I said something stupid.”

"Ah." Ty grimaced. "Have you tried the ‘I’m sorry, I was a dick’ approach? Usually works for me."

He chuckled and shook his head. “Not yet. I’m still at the wishing I could rewind and redo stage.”

Ty snorted. “Take it from me, that’s a wasted effort. Man up and apologize.”

"When did you become a damn relationship counselor?"

"Many hats, Irish. Many hats." Ty turned his face up to the sun.

Nick was quiet a long moment. He blew out a harsh breath. “It’ll work itself out.”

"You’re a stubborn asshole."

"Pot kettle, bitch." He gathered up his tools and patted Ty on the cheek as he walked away. Ty frowned and glanced up again. Kelly paused in his climbing and watched Nick move across the deck to the ladders that led up to the top level where their cabin was.

Ty pushed off from the railing and ambled down the deck, smiling as the comm crackled on and Elias’ voice filled the air. It was ritual to sing while he cooked. Ty sometimes joined him, singing along if he knew the words and trying not to burn food. It was a good tradition—one that kept him connected to his ship and his crew.

He toyed with the idea of heading down there now, but an arm snaked out from a doorway and grabbed him. He flailed and stumbled into Zane’s chest, laughing when he realized who it was. His laugh settled down to a contented hum as Zane spun him around and pressed him against the wall of the small room, sealing their bodies from hips to chest. Ty ran his fingers over Zane’s face. “No mask?”

Zane shrugged one shoulder and nipped at Ty’s fingertips. “Easier to kiss you.” He kicked the door shut, sealing them into quiet and privacy.

"Mmm, yes. Much." Ty smiled against Zane’s mouth, winding his arms around his neck and sagging against the wall under the solid pressure of Zane’s body. "How’s your side?"

"Fine."

"Fine as in…"

"Jesus, Ty, stop talking," Zane growled against Ty’s neck.

Ty laughed breathlessly, his fingers sliding into Zane’s curls. He ducked his chin, pulling Zane’s head up for a messy kiss. He was vaguely aware of his shirt being unbuttoned and familiar, rough fingers skating over his skin. Letting Zane’s lungs heal the past few days had been frustrating as hell for both of them. Not that gentle kissing or simply curling up together to sleep wasn’t nice but sometimes a good mauling was in order. And he wanted, no _needed,_ to work off that frustration. Needed Zane like he needed his next breath.

He snaked his good hand down the back of Zane’s pants to grab his ass, having learned a long time ago to keep his mechanical hand away from any of Zane’s sensitive parts. His groan turned into a yelp of a surprise when Zane grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to one side. He tripped over Zane’s leg and went crashing to floor. Zane followed, grinning, and ended up in a perfect push-up position over him.

"Well, hi." Ty’s eyes widened as Zane lowered himself slowly, his long body rolling down to meet Ty’s knees, hips, stomach and finally, chest.

"Hi." Zane smiled and glanced his mouth against Ty’s. The kisses started out slow and sweet, Ty’s body relaxing under Zane’s. Zane’s hands skimming up and down Ty’s sides. The kisses grew in intensity, becoming harsher and harder, teeth and tongue battling back and forth. Zane pushed Ty into the floor, nipping, licking and sucking his way down Ty’s neck to his chest and stomach.

"Fuck, I hope the ship doesn’t need us any time soon," Ty managed as his eyes fluttered shut.

"They’re adults. They can handle it." Zane yanked at Ty’s pants.

"How is it I’m getting naked and you still have clothes on?" Ty lifted his hips to help.

"How is it you’re still talking?" Zane didn’t wait for a response as he bent over and took Ty’s cock all the way to the back of his throat in one motion.

Ty hissed out a string of unintelligible curses, snapping his hips up. Zane growled low in his throat and held Ty on the floor, letting his cock slide out of his mouth so slow, Ty was nearly incoherent by the end. The things Zane could do with his tongue, _damn_. Zane repeated the motion while his hand slid under Ty’s balls to tease him and massage him. He sucked hard as he rose up, curling his tongue around the tip and licking at Ty. He wrapped his fingers around Ty’s cock and jacked him slowly, placing kisses on Ty’s hipbone.

Ty kicked out of his pants and rolled up, grabbing Zane’s shirt and jerking the man to his mouth. He pawed at Zane’s shirt, mumbling random nonsense against his lips. Things like _make this go away_ and _fucking hell_ and _now._ Somewhere in the distance, he heard singing and someone shouting but nothing sounded alarming so he filed it away in the back of his brain as not important.

"Don’t rip this. It’s my favorite." Zane pushed up to a kneel, reaching behind his head to pull his shirt off. He pushed at his pants with one hand while Ty grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, groaning as skin met skin and his cock rubbed against Zane’s hip. Ty closed his eyes as Zane’s teeth ran along his neck and bit down on his shoulder. He was so focused on Zane’s mouth all over his skin that he jumped at the renewed teases of Zane’s fingers between his legs.

Zane chuckled, the low sound shooting down Ty’s spine. “Easy, baby.”

Ty huffed. “Just hurry up.”

"Got somewhere to be?"

Ty’s smartass response died in his throat as Zane slid one then two lubed fingers inside him. He thudded his head against the floor and arched his back, pulling his knees up to wrap his legs around Zane’s waist. His brain formed creative curse words that might have actually made it to his mouth, but he wasn’t entirely sure. All he knew was he needed Zane inside him now. Right now. Heat and electricity ping-ponged around his insides, turning him into a live wire and everywhere his body met Zane’s was on fire.

"Need you," he managed hoarsely.

"You have me," Zane whispered in Ty’s ear as he removed his fingers and settled between Ty’s thighs.

Ty gasped and wrapped an arm around Zane’s neck, pulling him close as Zane entered him excruciatingly slow. The pain flared and ebbed as Ty forced himself to relax. Then Zane started to move, the roll of his hips settling into a rhythm that burned through Ty. He wasn’t going to last long at this rate. It’d been too long and he was too damn wound up. He turned his face into Zane’s neck, panting, breathing in Zane’s scent, blocking everything else out except the man in his arms.

"Love you," he whispered.

Zane pressed his lips to Ty’s temple, his breaths harsh and ragged. “Love you.”

There was no slow burn, no drawing it out. Zane kept up his relentless assault and Ty took it, loving it, letting it take over everything. “Baby…”

"Come on, baby," Zane growled.

The orgasm punched Ty in the gut, radiating outward until he felt it at all points of his body. Somewhere through the haze and the heat and in the midst of his coming, he heard Zane shout.

Then the only sound was their breathing.

Ty groaned and opened his eyes, gasping as Zane pulled out of him and rolled to one side. He threw a forearm over his eyes and hummed, feeling like he was one with the floor. “I don’t need to get up and do anything captainy right now, do I?”

"Not at the moment," Zane mumbled.

"Breathing okay?" Ty turned his head and traced Zane’s cheekbone with his fingertips. Zane leaned into the touch like a cat.

"Little short, but I’m fine."

Ty nodded and started to sit up, making a pained noise when his arm was stuck. He looked over at his bared automaton arm and laughed.

"What?" Zane rolled up on one elbow and stared, his lips twitching with the effort not to laugh. "Wow."

"That’s different." Ty shook his head and reached over to pry the three fingers that had gouged themselves so deep into the floor they were stuck. He glanced at Zane, whose eyes were dancing. "Proud of yourself?"

"Hell yeah," he laughed. He pressed his nose to Ty’s cheek, still grinning. "Made you come so hard you broke the ship."

Ty laughed and pushed him away. He reached for his clothes and dressed quickly. He waited for Zane to at least pull on his pants before he grabbed him, pulling Zane in for another long, slow kiss. “How long until we’re in Spain?”

"Oh we’ve been hovering over it for the past twenty minutes." Zane winked and walked out of the room, still buttoning his shirt.

~*~

"Okay," Ty pulled on his duster. "Who’s coming with me?"

"I’ll go," Kelly said quickly.

Ty arched an eyebrow and glanced at Nick, who said nothing. He nodded. “Okay.”

Ty wiggled his mechanical fingers and checked his spare gun in his thigh holster. He flipped his hat on his head and shot a look at Zane. “Don’t break my ship.”

"My ship will be fine," Zane said patiently. "Don’t get dead."

Ty smiled and brushed Zane’s fingers with his own. “Love you too.”

They’d agreed after the last near miss that one captain would stay on the ship whenever there were ground excursions. It sucked to be separated but they had to protect the items as they collected them. Nick had a wicked looking rifle slung across his shoulders. He nodded at Ty. Ty glanced at Kelly and back at Nick. “Fucking hell,” he muttered as he walked to the metal bridge connecting them to the air dock. Kelly followed, armed with an assortment of guns and knives. He was oddly quiet, his brow furrowed and his mouth in a thin line.

"So," he ventured as they hit street level.

"Don’t," Kelly interrupted. "I don’t want to talk about Nick."

"I was actually going to ask you which way you wanted to head first, but if Nick’s on your mind."

"I hate you, Ty."

"Actually, you don’t." Ty led them down a narrow cobbled street that snaked between white stone buildings. "You’re mad at Nick and you’re irritated with me for bringing it up. But you don’t hate anyone."

Kelly shot him a look. “Not now, please.”

Ty paused and grabbed Kelly’s arm. “Is your head straight for this? I’ll leave all the relationshipy stuff between the two of you _until_ it affects your job. But if you aren’t good up here,” he tapped a finger on Kelly’s forehead, “then I’m sending you back to the ship and I’ll get the damn detonator on my own.”

Kelly shrugged out of Ty’s grip, smirked, and held up Ty’s knife and coin purse. “I’m fine.”

Ty snatched his things and arched an eyebrow. “Okay. Don’t make me regret it.”

"Right." Kelly turned and walked away.

Ty opened his mouth to call after him but was hit from behind hard enough to send him stumbling into a wall. Pain radiated through the back of his head. He heard a yell and saw two dark figures grab Kelly. Movement out of the corner of his eye had him swinging his robotic arm up. He clipped his assailant on the side of his head, but the guy was fast. He spun away, ducked the next shot, and landed a blow in Ty’s side. Ty whuffed and doubled over.

"Kelly!" he yelled.

A howl of pain was the response. One of the guys had Kelly’s arms behind his back and the other had ripped Kelly’s glasses off, exposing his ultra sensitive eyes to the bright sunlight. He couldn’t see to defend himself.

Ty growled and drove his fist into his attacker’s stomach. Another pair of hands grabbed him and he twisted away, bringing his fist around to connect with a nose. He had to get to Kelly. He had to protect his crew. He reached for the panel on his arm but was tackled from behind. He landed with a grunt, his forehead smacking the ground with a crack he felt all the way to his feet, and heard a sickening crunch of metal. With a sinking feeling he looked over at the metal rod that pinned his now-useless arm to the ground.

"Kelly!"

No answer. He craned his neck, blinking through the sweat and blood on his face. Kelly was gone. A pair of mangled glasses and a smear of blood were all that remained. His heart fell to his toes.

A shadow fell across him and he looked up as a fist came down.

~*~

Zane leaned against the railing, eating Elias’ latest culinary creation. He didn’t know what it was called or what was in it, but it was damn good. The others sat on a couple of supply crates. Owen kept stealing glances at Nick, who was watching the connector bridge with a dark expression. Zane frowned. He’d asked Ty about the feud but Ty didn’t have much information other than some words had been exchanged and now things were awkward. He sighed. He and Ty had been there numerous times, especially early in their relationship when the trust wasn’t fully cemented. He knew all about letting things fly that you immediately wished you could take back.

Ty and Kelly had been gone for three hours, and Zane tamped down the ball of unease in his gut. Even as good as they were, anything could and usually did happen. Sidewinder attracted trouble like magnets.

"Message for the captain!" a clear voice rang out from the other end of the bridge.

Zane exchanged a confused look with Digger and set his plate down. “Captain here.” He moved to the bridge and accepted the plain envelope. The kid took the coin Zane handed him and vanished. Zane flipped the envelope over and opened it. Inside was a card made of heavy stock and embossed with a bronze B.

As he read the message, chills ran up his body and his chest grew tight. “Oh god…”

The others were instantly on alert. “What is it?” Digger asked.

He swallowed around the tightening in his throat and sought out Nick. “Ty and Kelly. They’ve been taken.”

Nick went unnaturally still, his face paling. His eyes met Zane’s and it was all Zane could do to not flinch away from the swirling fury.

"By who?" Owen asked quietly.

Zane shook his head, forcing his attention to the card and not images of Ty dead somewhere. “B. Could be the Baron or Burns. I don’t…I don’t know which one.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to get his tangled thoughts in order. _Jesus, Ty_ …

"What do they want?" Elias asked, his voice hard.

"The bomb parts, what the fuck else. Our men in exchange for the parts. They’ll be in touch."

"Fuck, who do we go after?" Elias clasped his hands on his head.

“If they hurt him…” Nick’s voice was dark and deadly. “If they fucking hurt him…”

Zane crumpled the card and threw it overboard. “We’ll get them back.” He met their expressions one at a time. “And kill anyone who stands in our way.”


	5. I Know a Guy

The first thing was the headache. Pounding, rolling pressure that made his head feel like it had its own heartbeat. As consciousness slowly returned, Kelly kept his eyes shut. He had no idea what happened to his glasses or how bright his location was. Awareness filtered through his body and now his throat hurt from thirst. His left shoulder cramped—probably from laying on it for who knows how long. He mentally felt around his body for injuries, giving up when it all blended into one giant bruise. Nothing seemed broken yet and all body parts were present and accounted for. He shivered, realizing he was barefoot in nothing but a pair of thin pants and a tank top.

With his eyes still shut, he opened up the rest of his senses. No footsteps. No breathing. No shuffling. Water dripped somewhere behind him. His surroundings smelled like earth and sweat and something metallic. He lay on stone and dirt, bits of something sharp digging into his arm and his hip. His arms and legs felt heavy, sluggish. Everything was too fuzzy around the edges.

Satisfied he was alone, he groaned and rolled to his back, gritting his teeth against the spike of pain in his side. Right, that’s where he’d been kicked.

Three times.

He moved his hand to feel for broken ribs and froze at the weight on his wrist and clinking metal. Fuck.

Chains.

Taking a steadying breath, he tested his other wrist without looking. Also chained.

He fought the rising wave of panic and breathed in and out. In and out. In and out. Thought about Nick. Thought about Sidewinder. _You’re okay. You’re going to be okay. Nick. Nick is coming for you. The ship is coming for you._

Guilt and regret stabbed through him at the thought of Nick. What a stupid fucking thing to fight about. He should have gone after Nick. He should have dragged him back to their room and hashed it all out. He should have done something over the past four days to repair the damage between them. Goddamn, he should have fucking _touched_ the man before he left the ship—a hug, a kiss, a brush of fingers…something. His eyes burned and his chest tightened as a flash of fear rolled over him. If those were their last words—

_No. Nick is coming. He’d go to hell to get you no matter how mad he was._

Repeating the mantra over and over, he cracked one eye open, bracing himself for brightness, surprised at the dim candlelight coming from high up on the walls in the windowless room. To him, the room was lit bright as day even though he knew a normal person would have trouble making out details. So, whoever had him knew. The room was solid stone with dirt and bits of rock strewn on the floor. From the coolness of the floor, he guessed he was underground. The only breaks in the walls were one steel door and a single vent high on the wall above his head. Water dripped from a loose pipe in the far corner.

Farther than his chains would reach.

Thirst seized his throat in a vice grip and settled into a dull pain in his chest.

"Comfortable?" A disembodied voice floated down from the ceiling.

Kelly didn’t answer, didn’t even acknowledge the voice. He grabbed his side with a wince and managed to get himself into an upright position. His ribs were definitely cracked. The pain made him tense and he had to force himself to relax and breathe. The room spun and his headache pounded down the back of his neck. Blood matted his pant leg to his calf but it looked dried. He didn’t feel like peeling back the fabric to see how bad his leg was. He was free of bullet holes or stab wounds. He had all his teeth even though he tasted blood. The headache crawled behind his eyes and made the room swim.

"Nasty head pains are a side effect of the drugs."

Kelly ignored the voice. He had a vague memory of fighting, of brightness washing his vision, and a stinging pain in his neck. The tender knot on the side of his throat confirmed the memory. Despite his situation, he got a little thrill out of the fact they had to resort to drugging to subdue him. He fought for coherent memories of what happened. He remembered he and Ty arguing…fuck, Ty. Was Ty okay? Ty wasn’t in the room with him. Did they kill him? Take him? Leave him? He tried to keep his panic on the inside, maintaining an outward disinterested expression.

The manacles on his wrists were heavy duty and too tight. He flexed his cold and rapidly numbing fingers, trying to get some blood flow into the digits. His fingers were his greatest asset.

"Nick isn’t coming for you, you know."

Kelly snorted. He glanced at the corner of the ceiling where a small, copper box sat recessed in the shadows. “He’ll burn down the world to find me.” His voice was raspy and thin, but strong and filled with all the anger simmering inside him.

"What makes you so sure?"

Kelly grinned and sat back against the wall, mustering up as much cocky nonchalance as he could. “He’s pretty fucking possessive of what’s his.”

The candles flared. He yelped and squeezed his eyes shut as his vision washed white and pain lanced through his head. “Fuck. You.”

"Special eyes indeed."

Kelly groaned and rested his forehead on his knees, shuddering with pain and chills. _Nick is coming for you._

_~*~_

Nick paced, unable to keep still, unable to keep his mind from spiraling in a thousand different directions. Kelly gone. Kelly hurt. Kelly dead. Each scenario in his head played out worse and worse. His arms physically ached with the need to hold Kelly. He couldn’t get enough air in his lungs. Fury made his hands shake and his jaw ache from grinding his back molars. The guilt only compounded the feelings. What he’d said… _god_. The unrestrained hurt that’d sliced across Kelly’s face. He’d take it all back in a heartbeat if he could. He’d understood Kelly’s vote. Really, he had. And now, here, he honestly couldn’t remember exactly why it’d pissed him off so much. Long day and he’d snapped and lashed out at the one person who meant the most to him.

And now Kelly was gone.

Taken.

_Fuck fuck fuck._

When they’d landed in Britannia this morning, he’d wanted to go confront the Baron immediately, but Zane had stopped him.

"You’ve been bitching for weeks about how you need a re-up on supplies. Go get those first in case we have to haul ass out of here," he’d said.

Sound reasoning.

Nick still hated it. But he also knew how much it pained Zane to wait as well. He’d all but locked himself in the main cabin, coming out to grab something small to eat or to pace the deck. The bruises under his eyes were as dark as Nick’s and his entire expression seemed lost, haunted. Anger and darkness rolled off him in waves. God help the person who took Ty from Zane.

It’d taken them two days to reach Britannia since they had to take a circuitous route to avoid detection. They’d agreed the card stock and frilly looking B was too high brow for Burns. Besides, this wasn’t his style. Burns would wait until they had all the parts then storm the ship, guns blazing.

So that left the Baron.

And Nick was going to put a bullet through the man’s skull if he’d hurt Kelly.

"You’re making me dizzy," drawled a low voice from the back of the dim shop. "Don’t make me tie you to a chair."

"I’d like to see you try," Nick growled. He stopped anyway, scuffing his boot across a fine layer of dust on the wooden floor.

"It was a joke." The man moved out from behind the counter with a box that he set in front of Nick with a jangled clunk.

"I know. Sorry. This—" He cleared his throat and tried again. "This thing with Kelly…"

"Hey, it’s cool. I get it. But you aren’t going to get him back wound up like this." He tapped Nick’s head, his heavy rings glinting in the candlelight. "Kelly needs you to think with this." He moved his finger and tapped Nick’s chest. "Not with this. Not this time. Save this for when you find him."

Nick nodded jerkily and grabbed the box. “Is this everything?”

"Everything except two rolls of copper wire. I ran short. A couple more crates out back for you."

Nick managed to twist his mouth into a grateful smile. “That’s fine. This is great.” He turned to leave.

"Nick?"

He paused, angling his chin to indicate he was listening.

"They’re still alive. I feel it in my bones."

Nick swallowed past the rock in his throat. “Tell me if you hear anything?”

"Always."

He put a hand on the knob and coughed. “Thanks, JD.”

~*~

Fuck, it was cold.

And his head hurt.

Ty tried to open his eyes and groaned as he realized one eye was swollen completely shut, the majority of the pain radiating from that spot. Well, that was going to make things difficult. He blew out a breath, trying to orient himself and pull together the hazy memories rolling around his pounding cranium. Landing in Spain. Talking with Nick. Sex with Zane.

His heart sped up at that one.

Fuck, Zane better be okay.

He opened his good eye and looked around. He was in a dim room of some sort. Cold. Empty. The floor was freezing and he’d been relieved of his duster, hat, and shoes.

Fantastic.

Groaning, he rolled to his side, wincing at the dead weight pull of his mechanical arm. Memories of a steel rod flashed through his head and he took a deep breath before looking at it.

"Shit."

It was mangled as hell. The panel was gone and it looked like someone had reached inside and ripped out half the innards. Wires hung out of the gaping hole, tangling in the bent plates and exposed gearwork. Two fingers were missing, the rest twisted beyond recognition. Dried blood dripped from where it joined his shoulder, the skin swollen and bruised. Had they tried to rip it off? The weight of the dead limb pulled on the abused shoulder, sending a dull ache across his back. He could tie it to his side with his shirt but, right now, it was his only weapon.

Not that it mattered. His good hand was chained to the damn floor.

And that pretty much sucked.

He rolled up to a sit and spat blood on the floor. He pulled his dead arm into his lap and took a good look at his surroundings. The room was small. Stone walls and floor the color of rust and dried blood. Dirt collected in corners in small piles. Water dripped down the wall in the far corner. At least he hoped it was water. Sconces lined the walls higher than he could reach, dim candlelight flickering and casting long shadows down the walls. Two vents high on one wall. No windows.

One steel door.

A copper communications box up in one corner.

He flipped it off with a bruised middle finger, hoping his captors could see him.

A muffled cry of pain shot his senses on high alert. It sounded close. Maybe on the other side of the wall? Kelly?

_Kelly._

Christ, he’d better be alive. Ty had vague memories of Kelly’s glasses being ripped off his face. The smear of blood on the ground. Worry gathered in his chest. Not for himself, but for his crew member. For his friend.

"Captain Ty Grady," a low, distorted voice purred from the box.

Ty arched an eyebrow but didn’t respond.

"You look lonely."

"Why don’t you come join me?" Ty patted the spot next to him.

"Amusing."

"I try." Ty leaned against the wall, straining his hearing for some other sign of Kelly. He fiddled with the stray wiring poking out of his dead limb.

"Your friend has interesting eyes."

"His boyfriend isn’t going to be too happy with your fawning." Ty frowned slightly when he thought he caught the faint sound of a whimper.

"Do you know if I turn the lights down, he can see perfectly fine. And when I turn the lights up…"

Another cry of pain from the other side of the wall.

"Fascinating."

Ty surged to his feet, the motion making his head swim and the room tip violently, but he stayed steady. “Leave him alone.”

"I don’t think you’re in the position to give orders."

"What the fuck do you want?"

"To play a game."

"A game."

"I believe that’s what I said, yes."

"Hard to understand you through the little box you live in. How about you come down here and we’ll talk to face to face?" Ty growled. All he could think about was Kelly curled up trying to protect his eyes and dealing with who knew what other injuries.

"Tempting. But no."

Ty examined the manacle on his wrist. Heavy duty. Too tight. Attached to chain which was connected to the floor by a thick O-ring. He yanked on it a few times for good measure. He grabbed his dead arm and held it to his side, trying to alleviate the pull. Christ, this thing was heavy when it didn’t work.

"The game is simple. Your boys fetch me what’s on the list. Until they do, you two are my mercy. I can only imagine what continued exposure to bright light will do to your friend. And your cell is sealed up to the vent in the wall. Unfortunately, your leash doesn’t reach that far."

Ty glanced at the trickle of water in the corner, noting the growing puddle. He pushed away the fear that wanted to take a hold and stayed focused on the voice. And on Kelly.

"You’re going to have a really shitty day when Zane finds you." He rubbed the cut over his swollen eye, making sure the socket wasn’t broken.

"You really think you can trust him? Has he even told you how many people he’s fucked over the years?"

"Less than your mother. Or are you just jealous you weren’t on his list?"

The water increased in flow. Ty rolled his eyes. “Really?”

"Really."

He blew out a breath, his brain dealing out a million different scenarios. “Let me see Kelly.”

"And why would I do that?"

"My men will want proof of life before they even consider your game. And, as I’m the captain, my word carries more weight. But I can’t tell them Kelly’s okay without seeing him first, can I?" Ty waited for a response, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I’ll consider it."

"You do realize that they will probably bypass negotiations and start shooting, right?"

The comm box crackled and, when the voice spoke again, the distortion was gone and a clear British accent filled the room. “Oh, darling, I’m counting on it.”

Ty’s blood ran cold.

~*~

Zane rested his elbows on the table, his mouth pressed against his clasped hands, and stared at nothing. All he saw was Ty. Ty’s face. His hands. His body. His eyes. His smile. His everything. And, fuck, it hurt. This was his worst nightmare. Ty had disappeared before. Unable to get back to the crew or ship. Separated for whatever reason. But it was _always_ under his own terms. Nothing like this. They knew this business was dangerous. Hell, they’d been jumped and attacked so many times over the years, he’d lost count. The entire crew of Sidewinder’d had Death’s tongue down their throats on more than one occasion.

But this time it was different.

Two of his men taken. One of them meant everything to him. The other one brought life to the ship. Without Kelly scaling precarious venues or running around barefoot, the ship seemed almost melancholy. Not to mention how bad off Nick was. The man hadn’t slept. He’d barely spoke three words to anyone.

Zane rubbed his hands over his face, forcing his attention away from things that wouldn’t help Ty or Kelly. A few pictures of the Baron lay on the table along with some crudely drawn schematics of the Baron’s compound. He frowned at the layout for the hundredth time. Outer wall. Guard towers. Inner wall. Maze of a house. Rumor had it there was a network of underground tunnels, but he couldn’t find a way in on this map. If it were him, that’s where he’d keep prisoners. Especially two as resourceful as Ty and Kelly.

His mask thunked on the table.

"You should be wearing that." Digger sat down across from him.

Zane nodded but didn’t move to put it on. Something nudged his thoughts as he stared at the schematics.

"When do we meet with the Baron?" Digger spun one of the pictures around to face himself.

"He said he’d be in touch."

"But you aren’t waiting for that."

"Fuck no."

Digger grinned. He leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. “I say we fly low and drop a few bombs on his roof. I can rig up a few that would punch some really gorgeous holes.”

Zane snorted. Digger’s love of all things bright and exploding was amusing and dangerous. He never went anywhere without something that could create a small fireball. He called them diversions. Zane called it unwanted attention.

"I’m sure the guards in these towers would shoot the ship down first."

Digger made a noncommittal noise.

Another nudge in the back of his mind. He realized he was staring when Digger waved a hand in front of his face. “You okay?”

"Shit, I think I have an idea." He scribbled some notes on a piece of paper and leapt up from the table. "Come with me."

Zane raced down the length of the ship, descending the broad staircase into the belly and winding his way across metal catwalks until he reached a small green door which he flung open without knocking. “Nick, you remember those rats?”

Nick sat at a low table which was covered in wires, metal plates, gears, buttons, copper tubes, and an assortment of tools. A mechanical weasel-like creature perched on his shoulder. A clockwork owl turned its head at the intrusion, the joints squeaking as it moved. Several robotic bugs skittered across the floor, their long legs tap tap tapping in rhythm. He glanced at Digger in confusion and back at Zane. “Um, can you be more specific?”

"The ones you were going to build."

"Oh, the ones Ty said he’d pitch me overboard if I built one?"

"Yeah, those."

Nick frowned as he picked up a metal moth and tapped one wing. It buzzed softly then took off, fluttering through the air with a tiny whir of gears. “What about them?”

"You built one anyway, didn’t you." Zane rolled and unrolled the paper in his hands.

"Of course I did. Kelly liked…" He cleared his throat. "Kelly likes to play with them. Race them in climbing."

"How many?"

"Cap?" Digger asked softly.

Zane waved a hand. “How many did you build?”

"A handful. Maybe five? They’re…" he chuckled softly. "They’re around the ship somewhere. Was waiting for Ty to come across one."

"If I told you to build as many as you can tonight, do you have the parts?"

Nick thought for a moment as he looked around. “Yeah, I think so.”

Zane motioned Digger to Nick’s table. “You both need to work on this together.” He laid out the papers he’d scribbled on. “You have twelve hours. Can you do it?”

Digger and Nick frowned at the pages. A slow smile crept over Digger’s face. “That’s gonna take a lot, boss.”

"But you can do it, right?" Zane folded his arms.

Nick rubbed a thumb across his lip and nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, we can do it.”

~*~

If he didn’t move, the chains didn’t clink. If he kept his face pressed to the wall, the light didn’t burn. If he took shallow breaths, the pain in his side stayed dull.

Kelly struggled against the panic that wanted to engulf him. He couldn’t open his eyes against the blinding light, but, with his eyes closed and the warm metal clamped around his wrists, he was catapulted into nightmares of restraints and eye drops and whispering and pens scratching across charts.

_"Which one is this?"_

_"KLE-24. He doesn’t speak. His eyes are adjusting to the new drops marvelously. One of the few favorable prospects. We can begin Stage Three soon."_

_"What’s the survival rate of stage three?"_

_"Twenty-three percent."_

_"Let me know how he does."_

Kelly clawed his way back to the present, shifting so the pain stabbed through his side and brought him back. He would not go down that road. That was firmly in the past where it belonged. He’d survived. He’d gotten out. He’d met Nick and Ty.

He’d found a family.

And now he was a badass motherfucking pirate who wasn’t going to take this shit. Chains were just chains.

He took a deep breath and slowly cracked one eye open. The light seared into the back of his skull and he groaned, curling into a ball. So much for badassery. He couldn’t fucking see.

"Kelly?"

He froze. “Ty?”

"Can you hear me okay?"

"Yeah. Where are you? Are you in the room with me?"

"The other side of the wall. Lights still too bright?"

Kelly held his side while he shifted to his back and threw a forearm over his eyes. “Yeah. Way too fucking bright. Where are we?”

"Baron’s got us."

A tremble coursed through his body. “Awesome.”

Ty’s laugh was bitter and faint. “You okay other than the eyes?”

"Ribs might be broken. You?"

"Arm’s dead. Rocking a cyclops look at the moment. Other than that, fucking fantastic."

Kelly chuckled even though it hurt to do so. He knew Ty was making light of things for him. To keep him calm. To keep them both focused. “What does the Baron want?”

"The bomb."

"I thought it was our sparkling personalities."

"Right? Asshole doesn’t know what he’s missing down here."

Kelly’s laugh turned into a cough that sent pain shooting around his back and into his chest.

"Kelly?"

"I’m fine. I’m good."

"You’re a bad liar."

"Only when I can’t see," Kelly rasped.

"Just keep talking to me, okay?"

Something in Ty’s voice set off an alarm in Kelly’s brain. If the Baron was torturing Kelly with light… “Ty, what’s he doing to you?”

Ty didn’t answer.

"Ty?" Kelly dragged his fingertips along the cold wall. "Ty?"

"Did you know these cells are sealed? You know…if you filled one with water."

"Jesus…how high is it?"

"Oh just a puddle. It’s more of a lame scare tactic right now." Ty laughed again but Kelly heard the nervous undercurrent. Ty did not like water.

"We’ll get out of this."

"That’s my line. I’m your captain."

Kelly grinned at the wall. “Yeah, well, I’m your friend.”

~*~

Britannia was one of the few nation-states in the world that retained a vast amount of wealth and power after the ravages of wars and population shifts over the centuries. Her buildings grew in size and splendor, covering the entire island. She became a leader in technology, harnessing the powers of steam and natural gas and using them when the world’s fossil fuel supply ran dangerously low. Many believed it was the island that saved her. She retained her autonomy while the rest of the world was swallowed up by black market profiteers and power-mad despots. She lined her shores with cannons and dared anyone to take a step in her direction.

The Baron’s compound sat atop sheer cliffs, looking down on the rest of the European Commons. It was an architect’s wet dream. White marble. Gold accents. Hard lines and sleek planes that reflected the morning sunlight like a beacon.

Zane and his men stood at the top of a hill to the west, surveying the great wall that wrapped around the exterior. The neighboring forest hid them well enough. He wasn’t happy about having to leave the airship docked so far away but they would manage.

"Now that is a beautiful sight," Nick murmured as his clockwork creations made their way to the compound.

"How long until they get in?" Zane asked.

Nick checked the knives in his boots and straightened. “Depends. The bugs will get in first. The rats will take some doing.” He folded his arms. “You should stay here. He already has one captain. We can’t afford to lose you both.”

Zane arched an eyebrow, not taking his eyes off the wall. “If I told you to stay behind, would you?”

Nick grunted but didn’t respond.

Zane turned to the other three who lurked in the shadows of the trees, all armed to the hilt. “You wait for the fireworks.”

"Then come in blazing." Digger chambered a round on a rather impressive and wicked looking shotgun.

"Don’t underestimate the Baron," Owen warned. "I’ve heard enough stories."

"Stories or not, he has what’s ours." Zane checked the knives slid into various locations around his body and the gun strapped to his thigh, then nodded to Nick.

At the main gate, they were stopped by two guards. “No visitors today.”

Zane grabbed the guy by the neck and shoved him against the wall. The other guard surged forward but Nick whipped out a knife and held it to his throat. “Don’t.”

Zane tapped the flat of a blade against the guy’s cheek. “How about you call up to your boss and tell him Captain Garrett is here to see him.”

The comm box set into the wall crackled to life. “When you’re done fondling my guards, boys, why don’t you come inside?”

Zane let go of the guard and stepped back. The man, red-faced with anger or embarrassment or some combination of the two, smoothed his uniform jacket and punched a code into the gate. The lock disengaged and the gate creaked open. Nick sheathed his knife and patted the guard on the cheek as they walked past.

The gate set into the inner wall was already open, two guards with guns waiting for them. “We’re to escort you.”

Zane gestured to the gate. “After you.”

"You’re to leave your weapons here."

Nick barked a laugh. “Not happening, junior.”

"Drop your weapons or I drop you." The guard pointed his gun at Nick’s face. Nick swatted the gun away, grabbing and twisting it out of the man’s grasp before anyone could react. With a supremely bored expression, he turned the gun into four individual pieces and dropped them into the grass.

"Don’t fuck with a pirate, son," he growled.

Zane smiled behind his mask. “Like I said,” he drawled. “After you.”

The guards exchanged looks then turned and walked down the graveled path. Zane glanced at Nick. “How long?”

"Few minutes," Nick answered as he fell into step.

Zane nodded as he looked around, committing the layout of the inner courtyard to memory. The wall was lower but not by much. No trees. No steps that he could see. So far, the only ways out on foot were through the two gates.

So far.

The guards led them to a set of oaken doors and knocked twice. Zane arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Nick cracked his knuckles as the door opened. The guards conversed in low tones with a guy dressed like an old world butler.

"Today," Zane interrupted.

"Of course, this way." The butler bowed and gestured inside.

Nick smirked at the guards as they walked past. As soon as the doors shut, his gun was pointed at the butler. “Where is he?”

The butler calmly stared down the gun as if he was used to such a thing happening on a regular basis and pointed to another door across the opulent foyer. “He’s inside. He’s expecting you.”

Zane stared at the butler for a long moment, trying to read the man’s passive expression. “Get out of here.” He stalked across the lobby, pulling a gun from his thigh holster. His boot met the ornate gold lock with enough force to splinter the door frame. Nick’s fist cracked the face of the one guard who rushed to stop them. Zane took two steps past Nick and squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet into the Baron’s shoulder.

"Hey, Liam, where’re my men?"

The Baron of Britannia, known to Sidewinder as the former mercenary Liam Bell, staggered backward with a momentary look of surprise that morphed into genuine amusement despite the blood spreading across the shoulder of his coat. “Afternoon, gentlemen, always good to see you.”

"Really not in the mood for chit-chat."

"Oh, Garrett, if you had only returned the drive to me like you were originally hired, none of this would have happened. You and your band of merry men would be fat and happy somewhere splitting the wealth."

"While you build a bomb," Nick said. The guard swung at him again and Nick sidestepped and laid him out with a jab of his hand to the guy’s throat.

"That was none of your concern." Bell pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tucked it under his jacket at his shoulder. He calmly picked up a remote and held it up. "Now, thanks to your grand entrance, you’ve sealed the fates of your dear sweet lovers. This controls water flow and the lights in their cells. You do the math." He pressed a button and tucked it into his pocket.

"The next bullet goes in your brain," Zane growled, ignoring the flash of panic jolting through his body. _Hang on, baby, I’m coming._

Bell laughed. “Then you won’t know where they’re being held. Could be here. Could be elsewhere. But I can tell you they have hours to live. Your move, love.”

Nick’s smile was slow and evil. He checked his watch. “My move?”

The booms came from all sides. In the walls. On the roof. Under the floor. Anywhere the explosive-laden clockwork bugs and rats had managed to insinuate themselves. Alone, the explosions wouldn’t be large enough to do much damage. But a group spread out over the entire compound?

Chaos.

The floor pitched violently as a series of blasts punched through the wood. Zane braced himself, grabbing Nick’s arm as the man stumbled backward. When he looked up, he saw a flash of a coat as Bell disappeared through a doorway. “Fuck!”

They charged through the doorway as another chain of blasts went off, sending debris raining around them. Fire roared in a room they ran by. Zane heard gunfire somewhere outside. Digger, Owen, and Elias would have reached the compound by now—guns blazing, anger in full force. The building shuddered, throwing them against the wall. Nick grabbed Zane’s arm and hauled him back to sure footing before taking off again. The wall blew apart as they ran by, pelting them with shards of stone and wood. They came to a dead stop at the end of the hallway, two corridors branching in opposite directions.

No sign of the Baron.

"Fuck!" Zane slammed a fist into the wall. "Which way?"

Nick’s eyes narrowed as he looked right then left, his jaw working and his mouth a thin line. “I don’t know.”


	6. Into the Darkness

Nick spotted the rust-colored smear along the wall to their left. “This way.”

_Kill Bell._

_Rescue Kelly._

__

That was pretty much the extent of Nick’s to-do list and, at this point, he didn’t care which order it happened as long as it resulted in one dead Baron and his Kelly safely back in his arms. His blood sang in his ears and every nerve in his body sparked with energy. He couldn’t explain how, but he _knew_ Ty and Kelly were somewhere in the compound. He didn’t want to think about what Bell’s remote triggered or how they were suffering while he and Zane raced down the corridors following a faint blood trail.

The explosions were fewer and further between. He guessed the majority had popped off already. What they heard now were secondary explosions or chain reactions. Or it could be Digger.

It was probably Digger.

They reached another branch and paused. Zane examined the walls and floor before he grabbed Nick’s arm and they took off again. Nick frowned at the blood smears, falling behind a few steps as he slowed up. Something about them was—

Gunshots cut through his line of thinking and he looked up as Zane ducked across a doorway and flattened himself against the wall on the far side, looking far more irritated than anything else. Nick slid his gun out of his thigh holster and moved to the wall. “You hit?”

Zane shook his head, twirling two knives between his fingers. His eyes were dark, a sense of cold detachment settling over him. In that moment, Nick was really glad Zane was on his side.

 _Where_ , Nick mouthed.

Zane performed a series of hand gestures. Nick nodded. He tightened his grip on the gun and cracked his neck once. After a beat, Zane knelt, spun, and flicked both knives into the room. Nick counted two beats then stepped into the doorway and opened fire.

_One_

_Two_

_Three_

_Four_

Two bullets found their marks in the stomach of the Baron, who doubled over and sank behind the massive wooden desk. Nick and Zane rounded the desk quickly and knelt next to him.

"Where are they?" Zane growled.

Bell laughed. “You really think I’m going to tell you, darling? Your lover is drowning while we have this little chat. And yours…” he smiled at Nick. “Yours will be permanently blind within the hour.”

Zane went pale. Nick leveled his gun at Bell’s face and pulled the trigger.

"Nick!" Zane grabbed his wrist. "Dammit, we didn’t—"

"Look." Nick pulled his wrist away and jerked his chin at the body. He shoved his fingers into the hole in the middle of Bell’s forehead and yanked, peeling back the skin. Underneath the skin and some sort of dark red slime, a steel skull gleamed.

"Son of bitch," Zane muttered.

"He’s a motherfucking automaton. I thought that blood looked weird." Nick stood. "How much you bet the real Bell isn’t even here?" He kicked the body for good measure and spun away, his hands raking through his curls. How were they going to find Kelly and Ty now? What if it was already too late? No, he couldn’t let his mind go there. He blew out a breath and spun in a slow circle, narrowed eyes examining the room.

"He wouldn’t have come in here unless there was a way out." Zane stood and walked to the shelves along the far wall. "He wouldn’t have cornered himself on purpose, even if he was a decoy."

Nick zeroed in on the desk and started pulling drawers out. His desk back on the ship had a series of hidden switches that opened various panels around his workshop. He kept having to make new ones every time Kelly found one. He felt around under the lip of the middle drawer until his fingertips brushed over a set of copper buttons. “Hey there, beautiful.” He squatted and craned his neck until they came into view. Three. Easy enough.

He went through the possible combinations until a something heavy clunked in the wall near Zane and, with a grinding of gears and the release of several compressors, the shelf swung away to reveal a stone passageway that sank into black.

"Into the darkness," Zane murmured.

"You think they’re down there?" Nick checked his weapon.

Zane pointed to a collection of dark pipes running along the wall just above head height. Condensation clung to one, water dripping from a loose seal. “Yes.”

_Hang on, Kels, I’m coming. Keep your eyes covered._

They raced down the corridor, the sounds of destruction and mayhem growing fainter and fainter as they descended deep underground. Soon, the only sounds were hissing steam, dripping water, and their footsteps. They stayed on opposite walls, pausing at doorways to do a brief inspection before moving on. As they neared a junction, Zane put his hand on Nick’s arm and stopped them.

"What do you hear?" Nick asked quietly.

Zane closed his eyes and bent his head. He nodded right. “That way.”

Footsteps pounding through shallow puddles and across cracked stone floors, they rounded several corners before reaching a hallway lined with steel doors. The thin stream of water spraying from the side of one door sent Nick’s heart into his throat. “Jesus.”

"Ty!" Zane rushed to the door, cursing at the nine-digit keypad next to the rather complicated-looking lock. "You have got to be fucking kidding me." He punched the door, growling in pain and frustration.

Nick spotted the light escaping through the cracks along the door next to Ty’s. He pounded on it. “Kelly!”

Silence.

"Kelly!"

"…Nick?" His voice was muffled and far away. Nick nearly collapsed with relief.

"Get away from the door if you can." He holstered his gun and reached into his pockets.

"What are you doing?" Zane frowned.

"Brought an extra set of keys," Nick said with a grin as he pulled out a handful of clockwork spiders. "Their legs are magnetic. Twist the heads to arm them." He pressed a few into Zane’s outstretched palm.

Nick tacked two on the locking mechanism and one on the keypad for extra measure. When Zane had placed his, Nick grabbed him and hauled him back around the corner.

"I thought you said the bugs didn’t pack that much of a punch," Zane protested as Nick pushed them against the wall and ducked their heads.

"The spiders—" The rest of his sentence was cut off by the boom and shuddering of the walls. A roaring rush of water ricocheted down the hall, smacking their legs as they headed back.

Zane ran into the cell without hesitation, hitting his knees next to a very still, thoroughly soaked form on the floor. Nick couldn’t see Ty’s face but he saw the water line high on the walls—higher than that chain around Ty’s wrist would have allowed. His heart pounded around his ribcage, threatening to suicide out of his chest and onto the floor.

"Is he…" Nick couldn’t force his lips to form the word. He gripped the edge of the partially blown-out door frame so hard his knuckles turned white.

"He’s breathing," Zane’s relief whooshed out with those two words. "Go get Kelly."

"Hey," Nick threw him another bug. "Use that on the chain." He darted next door, his legs nearly giving out at the sight of Kelly curled up on the floor in a ball. "Kelly?"

Kelly stirred, his eyes squeezed shut and his face twisted with pain. “Nick?”

Nick knelt, afraid to touch him in case he was hurt bad. “Yeah,” his voice cracked. Anger choked him at the sight of Kelly’s bruised and broken face. Blood across his knuckles. Blood staining his pant leg. No shoes. His hands a faint shade of purple from the manacles being too tight. He was sweating and shivering, his breath coming in shallow pants.

Kelly reached a shaking hand toward him. “Are you really here?”

Nick slid his fingers between Kelly’s and pressed his forehead to Kelly’s temple. “I’m right here, okay?”

"It’s bright. I can’t…" Kelly turned his head, burrowing his face into Nick’s neck.

"I know, babe, hold still." The sconces were too high for him to reach and he didn’t see any switches or dials. With a faint growl he ripped off the sleeve of his T-shirt and wrapped it around Kelly’s eyes. "That’ll have to work until I can get you some glasses."

Kelly trembled and hissed with pain. “Ribs…Nick, the chains.”

Nick didn’t know as much about Kelly’s past as he’d like but he knew chains gave Kelly nightmares. He heard a faint boom from the other side of the wall and Kelly jerked. “It’s okay. Just Zane getting Ty.”

"Ty…the water. Oh Jesus…" Kelly’s breathing picked up and he moved like he was actually going to do something. He grabbed his side and groaned, the sound slicing through Nick like a knife.

"Zane’s got him. He’s okay." Nick kept his voice as even and soothing as he could. He pulled another two bugs from his pocket. These were smaller. Less of a punch. He tacked them to the chains then wrapped his arms around Kelly, trying to shield him from the blast with as much of his body as possible. "Hold still," he whispered.

"What—" Kelly flinched as the bugs blew, shattering the chains. Nick grunted as one chain whipped free and caught him at the base of his spine. The sting shot up his back but he kept quiet.

"I’m sorry," Kelly whispered, his voice slurred.

Nick closed his eyes. “No, Kels. You have nothing to be sorry for.” He cleared his throat. “All right, you’re free. Can you walk?”

Kelly nodded, his grip tight on Nick’s arm. “I think so. I don’t…I don’t feel so good.”

"Well, you’re the doc. If you die, we’re all screwed."

Kelly huffed.

"Come on, this is nothing." Nick wrapped one of Kelly’s arms around his shoulders. He slid his arm around Kelly’s waist, trying to be careful of his ribs. "Remember that time in the Americas?"

"Which one?" Kelly managed as they started to walk.

"The chick that you tried to pickpocket and turns out her three brothers were right there."

Kelly’s smile was tight. “That was painful.”

"Broke six of your fingers and your nose. Would have broken your arms if I hadn’t been there." Nick nodded to Zane, who was holding a barely conscious Ty. "How is he?"

"I fucking hate water," Ty rasped.

Nick snorted. “Couldn’t go one day without breaking your damn arm, could you?”

"I will hit you with this thing."

"All right, kids, come on." Zane arched an eyebrow at Kelly and shot a questioning look to Nick.

Nick nodded and gestured for him to take the lead.

"Where’s Bell?" Ty asked.

"Long story," Zane answered, his voice dark.

"They took my hat and my coat," Ty grumbled.

"We’ll get you a new one." Zane patted Ty’s chest as they wound through the tunnels.

"That was my favorite hat."

Nick snorted. “It was your only hat.”

"Shut up," Ty sulked.

As they reached the main building, the explosions caused both Ty and Kelly to draw up short. “What the hell?”

"Nick and Digger made exploding rodents," Zane explained. He pulled out his gun as they moved into the study.

"Oh god, you didn’t blow up Cecily, did you?" Kelly sounded horrified.

Nick chuckled. “No, I didn’t blow up your damn weasel. Took me a week to build that thing.”

Kelly smiled tiredly, leaning more of his weight on Nick. “Good.” He stumbled but righted himself quickly. “I’m fine,” he mumbled.

"I know," Nick soothed. "One step at a time."

"The fuck is that?" Ty stared at the body on the ground.

"That’s the long story," Nick said. "This Bell was an automaton."

"He what?" Kelly frowned behind the blindfold. "The hell?"

"No idea." Zane pulled Ty toward the door. "We’ll worry about it later. We need to get you two back to the ship."

They met up with the others at the inner gates. Outside was a sight to behold. Half the inner wall was punched through with holes of varying sizes. A good portion of the mansion blazed underneath gold and red flames. Both sets of gates hung from their hinges. Zane whistled. “Damn, boys. Good job.”

"Where’s Owen?" Nick looked around.

Digger checked the watch on his forearm cuff then pointed upward. “Right about there.”

As if on cue, Sidewinder broke through the clouds and came to a hover above them. Ty craned his neck at the underside of the massive airship. “Goddamn, that is the prettiest ass I’ve ever seen.”

In spite of the harrowing day and two very injured men barely standing, everyone burst out laughing. Even Kelly managed a choked laugh as he clutched his side. Tension dripped into the ground as Nick pressed his nose into Kelly’s hair and chuckled. Kelly’s hold tightened imperceptibly and a weight on Nick’s shoulders lifted. They would be okay.

Digger and Elias scaled the ladders quickly and lowered the swings for those who couldn’t climb. Within minutes, Ty and Kelly were safely aboard. Zane grabbed Nick’s arm as he reached for a ladder. “This was too easy.”

Nick had the same feeling balled up in his gut. He nodded and looked back at the burning mansion. “I hate games.”

The firelight danced in Zane’s dark eyes as he stared at the compound. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would he go to all this trouble?”

"Diversion?" Nick ventured. "That’d be my plan. Get us to go somewhere else so we wouldn’t be wherever he really is."

Zane grunted and grabbed a ladder. “Fucking hate that son of a bitch.”

"Join the club."

~*~

"I’m going to take the blindfold off."

Kelly nodded, trying to keep his breathing even.

He’d worn the scrap of cloth—Nick’s shirt sleeve as he’d found out—the entire time he was talking Nick through bandaging his wrists and addressing the other cuts and scrapes around his body. His calf had been scraped raw, bleeding again when his pants were peeled away. He’d instructed Nick on how to bind up his ribs so they could heal. And so he could take a deeper breath.

But he’d been afraid to open his eyes.

Ty had only needed a few stitches and a lot of ice. Nick had left Kelly’s side long enough to detach the apparently mangled robotic arm from Ty’s shoulder, swearing he’d start to build him a new one tomorrow. While he was gone, Kelly had held onto the edges of the infirmary table, grounding himself in the cool leather under his fingertips and the low sounds of Nick and the rest of the guys. He was safe.

He was safe.

_He was safe._

He had kept talking, instructing the others on how to bandage and stitch this and that even though they all knew how to handle minor injuries. The talking helped keep him focused on the present and he appreciated everyone letting him.

Ty and he had recounted the tale of their capture and brief conversation they’d had with the Baron. Kelly was still shocked it’d been an automaton the whole time. Ty was convinced the real Baron had been there at the start and left after taunting them through the comms.

"It was him. I can’t explain it, but it was really him." Ty’s voice had sounded rough and hoarse, like he’d swallowed too much water.

Kelly didn’t want to think about how close Ty had come to dying.

Right now, he was back in his and Nick’s room, the familiar softness of their bed under his bruised body. The air was cool on his bare skin, the only thing covering him being his boxers and various bandages. Nick’s weight sank the mattress near his hip, his warmth lapping Kelly’s side. One strong hand rested on Kelly’s stomach. Nick hadn’t stopped touching him other than to help Ty out. It was oddly sweet and extremely reassuring.

The cloth slipped off his face but he kept his eyes squeezed shut. “What’s on in here?”

"One candle on the other side of the room." Nick’s voice was low and even. Not patronizing or mothering. Just conversational. Easy. Patient.

Kelly felt for and grabbed Nick’s hand and slowly opened his eyes.

The pain shot through the sockets and blasted into his head. “Oh god,” he groaned and clapped a hand over his eyes. “Nick…” his voice came out embarrassingly pathetic.

"Hey, they’re just hurt. You’ll get better." Nick’s voice moved as the weight disappeared, and he heard a quick blow of air.

"But what if they don’t? What if I’m blind?"

"I’ll be able to finally sneak up on you in the dark."

Kelly chuckled, which went a long way to assuaging his growing panic. The weight returned, but on his other side, as Nick stretched out along the bed with him. Skin dragged against skin as Nick settled on his side next to Kelly.

"The candle’s out and there’s no other light in this room. It’s pitch black. Promise."

Kelly took a deep breath and clenched his jaw, cracking his eyes open slightly. Only a dull ache as his eyes tried to focus.

"Can you see me?"

Kelly turned toward Nick’s voice. His features were lined in the purple and blue his vision took on in the dark. But they were dim, like looking through a cloudy window. “You’re blurry and faint, but yeah.”

"Good. See? They just need to heal. Like the rest of you. I’ll find you some really dark goggles tomorrow." Nick’s fingertips roamed over Kelly’s stomach and chest. "And maybe a hat."

"I hope you’re right," Kelly whispered. He shivered, unable to shake the unease that had clung to him like a burr since the Baron’s compound. The bandages around his wrists reinforced the nightmares he kept trying to fight off.

"Hey," Nick’s voice growled in his ear. "Don’t you dare. You stay here with me. You understand?"

"Nick…" The words caught in his throat. He _hated_ being weak. He _hated_ being a slave to these memories. He knew he was injured but the last thing he needed was to be babied and handled like some fragile, broken object. He supposed, on some level, he was. His brain pounded through memories that shoved aside the part of him that usually didn’t give a shit. The part of him that ran around like a goddamn monkey and stuck his tongue out at the world. “I need you.”

"I know, babe. I’m here."

"No…I need…" His voice caught.

Nick was silent, his ever patient, calming presence doing more to center Kelly than anything. But that’s not what Kelly needed right now. Patient and calm and quiet just meant his brain dialed up the volume and vibrancy. He took a deep breath, deep enough to pull at his abused ribs.

"I’m thinking too much," he whispered, wincing at how he sounded.

Nick stilled, his breathing stuttering ever so slightly. “You’re hurt,” his voice lowered, taking on a dangerous edge that sent nearly every drop of blood in Kelly’s body straight to his hips.

"Don’t baby me, Nick. I won’t break." Kelly kept his voice as even as he could. His damaged eyes made out the blurry lines of Nick’s face. Not that he really needed to see them. He knew those lines by heart. He dragged his fingertips over Nick’s cheekbone and lips. "Turn my brain off. Please."

His arms were above his head before he could take a breath, Nick’s weight bearing down on his wrists. The bruises and cuts flared hot under Nick’s grip but, instead of pulling him into the abyss of his nightmares, the pain eased through his body, awakening his nerves and setting his skin on fire.

"You’re sure?" Nick’s tone told him this was his last chance to back out. His last chance to give into his injuries and rest. His last chance to try to beat down the flickering film reel of memories on his own.

"Don’t make me ask again." His voice came out hard and he pulled a little against Nick’s grip. He could barely make it out in the darkness, but Nick’s slow grin sent shivers down his spine. The bed shifted and Nick was straddling his hips, his hands still firmly grasping Kelly’s wrists.

"Close your eyes."

"I can barely see you."

"Close. Your. Eyes."

Kelly huffed but did it anyway, sealing in the blackness and opening the rest of his senses. Nick’s warmth and weight rolled up his body until lips and teeth grazed his ear. “Just feel.”

He nodded, his throat dry. His pulse thrummed with anticipation. This. This is what he needed. No need to think. No need to analyze. No need to remember. Just feel. Just be. Just be here with Nick. His brain clicked off and his body clicked on. His hips moved a little of their own accord as he pushed his head into the pillow and released the breath he’d been holding.

"Keep your hands up here. Don’t move them." Nick’s fingers traced down Kelly’s arms to his shoulders, up the sides of his neck to his face, thumbs tracing Kelly’s jaw and down the center of his throat. He didn’t know what to expect from Nick right now. Nick’s touch was a mixture of the firm control he knew and an almost reverent quality. Like he was making sure Kelly was really here. Normally, he would snark some comment about Nick taking too long to spur him into action but he kept quiet. He knew he’d worried the fuck out of Nick. Scared him. Underneath the easy patience, Nick could be angry or terrified or just a big ball of relief. Kelly couldn’t see well enough to tell but he felt enough through Nick’s touch.

So he stayed quiet.

The pressure of Nick’s hands increased on his collarbones as Nick shifted. Lips brushed his and he nearly sighed with relief. He opened his mouth under Nick’s and a moan slipped out. Nick smiled and dragged his teeth along Kelly’s lower lip before diving in for a firmer, wetter kiss. Kelly took the assault and added his own nips and bites and licks. He grabbed Nick’s tongue with his teeth and sucked on it hard, purring at the groan it elicited from Nick. The kiss broke off and bites trailed down his jaw to his ear and down his neck.

Kelly reached up and wrapped his fingers around the iron bars of their headboard to keep from grabbing Nick as the biting and kissing continued down his chest. Everywhere teeth met skin, nerves sang and blood sped up until the entire upper half of his body was a live wire and he was so hard he was aching.

Over his own harsh breathing, he heard Nick murmuring against his skin as he moved. He couldn’t make out most of it but caught things like _missed you_ and _I’m sorry_ and _scared me_ and _mine_. The vibrations of his voice made Kelly writhe more, his fingers clenching the bars so tight, the scabbed skin of his bruised knuckles broke open again. He didn’t care. The pain from his wounds and the sharp, quick pain from Nick’s bites blended with the endorphins running through his body and he flew.

His boxers slid down his legs, Nick taking infinite care around his bandaged calf. The bed shifted as Nick’s weight disappeared. Kelly wanted to open his eyes. Wanted to say something. But he stayed put and quiet, his body so sensitive and strung tight that he jolted when Nick’s fingers slid over his hip.

"Jumpy?" Nick laughed as he climbed back into bed.

Kelly made a derogatory noise and tried to relax. Nick chuckled again, the sound shooting straight down Kelly’s spine. He nudged Kelly’s thighs apart and settled between them, one hand drifting across his stomach and down to his thigh, which he pulled up, pushing the knee toward Kelly’s chest. “Ribs okay?”

Kelly adjusted and blew out a breath, listening to what sounded like Nick slicking himself up. Jesus, he wanted to watch that. “Yeah. Can’t do that on the other side, though.”

"Noted," Nick said, a smile in his voice. "How about you wrap that other leg around me?"

Kelly complied, dragging his heel around Nick’s bare hip and curving his leg around his waist.

"Still okay?"

Kelly sighed, frustrated and turned on and existing somewhere between pain and pleasure. “Seriously. Stop fucking babying me.”

"Babying you, huh?" Nick shifted and Kelly’s breath stalled out as Nick’s fingers wrapped around his cock and he started to stroke. "Babying you? When do I ever fucking baby you?"

"Fuck, never," Kelly gasped. He arched into Nick’s hand, desperately wanting to let go of the bars and grab at him. He sucked in a breath as Nick pushed on Kelly’s bent leg and he felt Nick’s cock press against his ass.

Nick’s lips brushed his, so soft in contrast to the rough hand still stroking him or the imminent push-in without prep, which they’d done many times before. It never ceased to amaze Kelly how Nick always knew _exactly_ what he needed when he needed it. “I will never baby you, Kels,” Nick whispered against his lips. “But I will take care of you.”

Against his will, Kelly’s eyes flew open and his arms wrapped around Nick’s neck in a near choke hold when Nick pushed past those stubborn muscles and rocked slowly inside him. The pain spiked, washing through his body and he arched against the bed, his cry wordless and hoarse.

"That’s it. Let the whole goddamn ship hear you," Nick growled, his voice tight. He bit at Kelly’s chin and jaw, his hands sliding under his shoulder blades and digging in as his hips flexed, sending him deeper.

Kelly panted against Nick’s neck, raising his legs higher despite the pain in his side. His fingers scrabbled for purchase against the rolling muscles along Nick’s back, clawing at the smooth skin. He mumbled curses or whatever syllables spilled out of his mouth as Nick rocked. The pain ebbed to pleasure as his cock lay trapped between their stomachs, the movement massaging him. He bit at Nick’s neck and ear and shoulder and anything else he could reach while he tried to pull enough air into his lungs.

Nick reared up, pulling Kelly’s legs around his waist and holding him down with one hand in the middle of his chest. His touch seared through Kelly, his hyper-sensitive skin heating up everywhere Nick’s fingers dragged, clawed, dug in, or held on. Nick grabbed Kelly’s hand and guided it to his cock, wrapping both their hands around Kelly and stroking. “Come for me,” he said, his voice low and thin and that of a man battling back his own orgasm.

Kelly groaned, spreading his fingers so Nick’s fit in the spaces between and, together, they brought him to the very edge. He jerked his hips up into their hands, tightening his legs to pull Nick deep, and let go. Hot liquid hit his stomach and chest and he swore every bone in his body dissolved. Nick moaned and bent over, his forehead pressed to Kelly’s jaw, as his whole body tightened and he jerked with a short, sharp cry. Kelly rolled his hips as best as he could through the haze of dull aches and buzzing endorphins. He gasped for air, his hands trailing up Nick’s back to his neck and into his hair. He tugged Nick to his mouth and kissed him long and deep.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Nick laughed tiredly. “Anytime.”

They both groaned as Nick pulled out of him and collapsed next to him on the bed. Kelly looked down and barely made out the mess on his stomach and chest. “I’m going to need new bandages.”

"You okay?"

"Yes," Kelly brushed the backs of his fingers over Nick’s cheek. They both knew he didn’t just mean injuries.

Nick rolled up and felt around for a moment, dropping a T-shirt on Kelly’s stomach. Kelly chuckled and cleaned up, pausing as Nick stole a kiss. Nick slid his arm under Kelly’s neck and pulled him into his side. Kelly slid a leg over Nick’s thigh and draped his arm across Nick’s sweaty stomach. His eyes drifted shut as his head spun a little.

He listened to Nick’s breathing for a long moment. “They took us off the streets. Told us that we’d have a bed and food and clothes.” He cleared his throat and barreled onward. “I went because, shit, better than living in that hellhole.”

"Where was it?" Nick asked quietly. His fingers drifted up Kelly’s arm.

"Britannia."

"Ah, no wonder you never want to come here."

Kelly snorted softly. “Yeah. They took us to this big ass house out in the country. And shit was awesome for a while. We had all the stuff that they promised us. And then, um, kids started disappearing. At first they told us that the kids had been found homes. Or a few had run away. I kept to myself mostly. I never talked to anyone and I heard one day that the people that ran the joint thought I couldn’t speak so I let everyone believe that. Easier to stay hidden that way.”

"How old were you?"

"Ten." Kelly rubbed his eyes, which still ached but details were slowly growing clearer in the darkness. "One day they called me and this other kid to their office. You can’t tell now because of….everything…but I used to have two different colored eyes."

"No shit?"

He laughed at the genuine surprise in Nick’s voice. “Yeah, one blue and one green. This other kid had one brown and one blue. They told us that since we had special eyes, we’d been chosen for a special program. They said they’d pay us and we’d be helping. For the good of humanity and other shit.”

"And you agreed."

"I was ten. I didn’t know any better," he protested.

"Hey," Nick soothed, his fingers never stopping their tracing up and down Kelly’s arm. "Not judging."

Kelly blew out a breath. This was easier than he thought it’d be but still hard as hell to talk about. “They, ah, put these drops in our eyes. The first time, I let them because I didn’t know. But…fuck…”

Nick’s fingers stuttered but he kept moving.

"It burned. Burned all through my eyes. I couldn’t see. I started crying. I tried to get away but they drugged me. After that, they kept me drugged and restrained to give me the drops."

"Jesus."

"I don’t know how long it was until something happened but one day I woke up and I could see the room bright as day. I thought maybe someone had left the lights on. Then one of the doctors came in and flipped the switch and….god. It felt like someone had stuck hot pokers in my eyes. I screamed and curled up in a ball. They tried to get me but I managed to tuck myself behind some cabinets. I was pretty tiny."

"Yeah, you were a scrawny fucker when I first met you," Nick poked him in the stomach.

Kelly swatted at his hand, then grabbed it, lacing their fingers together. Nick’s thumb brushed over his abused knuckles. “They threatened the other kid in front of me. Told me if I didn’t come out, they’d shoot him.”

"Fuck."

"So I did. And they chained me to a table. And put more drops in my eyes. Kept me there for who knows how long. They tested me with light and darkness and took measurements and data and wrote things down and whispered. Always fucking whispered." He swallowed past the rock in his throat.

"Kels…"

"Then, one day, I overheard them talking about how well I was doing and how they were going to start something called Stage Three but that the survival rate was something abysmal like twenty percent." He turned his face further into Nick’s chest. "So I escaped."

The statement hung in the air between them. He knew Nick wanted to ask him how but he wasn’t ready to tell him that. He wasn’t ready to tell him how they’d killed the other kid during Stage Three. He wasn’t ready to tell him how Kelly had manged to get out of his restraints by cutting the skin enough to bleed and dislocating his thumbs so he could slide out. He wasn’t ready to tell him how he’d hid in the other kid’s body bag for nearly twelve hours.

"How long before you met us?" Nick’s voice was rough.

"About six months," Kelly whispered.

"You were there for two years?"

"I guess, yeah." Kelly forced a laugh.

Nick rolled to his side and scooted down the bed so he was facing Kelly. Kelly knew Nick couldn’t see him in the dark but he saw the hard set of Nick’s mouth and the lines between his brows. Nick rested his forehead against Kelly’s. “It’s in your past. And you got out.”

"Yeah."

"And you’re a master pickpocket. And a goddamn monkey. And a fucking badass pirate." Nick brushed his nose against Kelly’s. "And you’re mine."

~*~

The clang of metal against metal made Ty wince in the morning sunlight. He was sore all over, both from injuries and vigorous reunion sex. His eye was still swollen shut. He was missing his goddamn arm. He had rug burn on his cheekbone and finger bruises on his hips. He grumbled random promises to kill and maim whoever was making that god-awful racket as he stumbled out of his and Zane’s cabin and made his way to the main deck. He drew up short at the sight of Owen and Elias circling each other  in the largest open space in the middle, swords in hand, wearing nothing but a pair of pants each.

"What the fuck?"

Zane laughed from where he leaned against the railing. “Friendly wager. Owen wins and Elias has to help maintain the ship for a week. Elias wins and Owen has to do food prep for a week.”

Ty’s mood immediately brightened and he leaned on the railing next to Zane, his shoulder brushing the other man. Zane slid an arm along the railing behind Ty, hooking his thumb in the band of Ty’s pants as he watched. Ty moved to fold his arms but sighed when he remembered he was down a limb. It was weird having no arm again. A bit of metal and wiring hung from the surgical point in his shoulder. He spotted Nick on the other side of the deck. He sat cross-legged on a barrel with pieces of what looked like Ty’s former arm in his lap. “Hey, Irish!”

Nick held up a hand. “I don’t know if I can fix this and, if I can, I don’t know when it’ll be done.”

Perched in a webbed section of rope above Nick’s head, Kelly started giggling. He sported a pair of goggles that blocked out every ounce of light. The lenses looked solid black to Ty. But the man looked okay. A little worse for wear, much like he felt, but not as haunted as he had yesterday. Digger sat off to one side, a cigar hanging from one corner of his mouth, his dark eyes fixed on the sword fight.

Damn, it was good to have his crew in one piece again. Well, except for his poor arm.

The clang of swords pulled Ty’s attention. Owen and Elias circled each other, brows lowered, eyes bright, mouths in thin lines. Elias grinned and winked before he feinted to one side and took a swipe at Owen. Owen spun away, bringing his sword up to block the attack.

"Are those sharpened?" Ty asked Zane.

Zane shrugged. “No idea.”

Ty snorted. “This is such a good idea.”

"Figured you’d enjoy it, doll."

"Who’s your money on?"

Zane smiled without looking away from the fight. “Owen.”

"Huh." Ty rubbed his jaw. "All right, I’ll take Elias."

"Betting against me?" Zane’s eyes narrowed.

"Could be fun."

"What’s the wager?"

Ty watched the two men circle each other. The swords met again and again, the clangs ringing out in the morning air. “I win and you address me as Captain Grady or Sir for a week.”

Zane sputtered, his eyebrows flying up his forehead. “Really.” He thought for a moment. “I win and your next hat is a real pirate hat.”

Ty frowned. “Like one of those tri-corner bitches with the feather?”

Zane grinned, his eyes dancing in the morning light. “Yep.”

He sighed and ran his teeth over his lower lip. “Fine. You’re on.”


	7. But Why Is All the Rum Gone?

"Do I have a damn arm yet?"

"Nope." Nick folded his arms and leaned against the door frame to the infirmary.

Ty frowned and shifted his lighter-than-usual shoulder. “Why not?”

"Because it’s only been about three hours since you last asked me and I’m still building it." Nick rested his head on the wood.

"So why are you here?"

Nick arched an eyebrow. “Because I’m taking a break and if you push me, I’m painting the damn thing pink.”

"You wouldn’t dare." Ty’s eyes widened.

"He would. Now hold still." Kelly leaned over Ty and poked at his swollen eye and the stitches across his temple.

"Can you even see me?" Ty asked. No lamps shone in the room, the only light coming from the open doorway that Nick filled. Goggles covered Kelly’s eyes, the lenses black as pitch.

"Yep," Kelly said patiently. He pushed Ty’s face away so he could examine the swelling.

"Whenever you’re done, check his ass. Something crawled up there and died," Nick said.

"Bite me, Irish."

"Bend over, Beaumont," he drawled lazily.

Ty grumbled wordlessly. He knew he was in a bad mood and was taking it out on the crew. He’d lost the sword fight bet with Zane, who was gone from the ship when he woke up this morning. He was still down an arm, which was ridiculously annoying on so many levels. As his injuries settled into his body, a soreness crept through his bones. The few places he’d needed stitches itched and pulled. He was angry as fuck that Bell had outsmarted everyone and disappeared. Plus, he couldn’t shed the guilt over what happened to Kelly. No one knew if the man’s eyes would ever heal right or if he would be confined to dark spaces and black goggles forever. He hadn’t missed the worried expressions that flitted across Nick’s face when Kelly wasn’t looking. Kelly had shed the wrist bandages for some thick, leather cuffs to cover the wounds that would likely scar. He fidgeted with them constantly. Every time Ty looked at him, it was like getting kicked in the chest.

He should have protected his crew member—his friend—better.

"Stop it," Kelly murmured in a low tone.

Ty glanced at him from under lowered brows.

"None of it was your fault. It was the assholes who jumped us." He spoke low enough so Nick, who wasn’t really paying attention anymore, couldn’t hear.

"Your eyes—"

"Will heal." Kelly shifted around to check the human part of Ty’s arm. "It’s only been twenty-four hours and I can already see a little better."

"A little better," Ty muttered.

Kelly sighed and jabbed at Ty’s arm a little harder than was probably necessary. Ty yelped and glared at him.

Kelly’s eyebrows rose. “Well, stop being a grumpy asshole.”

"Seconded," Nick called out while he watched the clouds roll by.

"I’m the captain. This is not a democracy."

Kelly snickered as he reached behind him for a syringe gun. He loaded it and pressed it to Ty’s neck.

"Wait, what are you—fuck!" Ty jerked away as the gun hissed and the needle stabbed him, depositing its load of medicine. "What the hell did you just give me? You know I’m allergic to meds."

"Really? As your doctor, I’d completely forgotten that," Kelly deadpanned as he put the gun away. "Relax. Mild antibiotic—one you won’t react to—and a painkiller. Also one you won’t react to. Give me some credit, _captain_. Your arm is trying its damnedest to get infected. So it’s a nip on the neck or death.” He shrugged and grinned. “Your choice, really.”

Ty’s smartass response was cut off by hollering from the main deck. Without asking if Kelly was done, Ty leaped off the exam table and ducked past Nick. “Arm, Nick.”

Nick grunted as he followed Ty.

Ty skidded to a stop when he saw Zane swing one long leg over the railing of the ship. The skiff he and Digger had taken bobbed along pleasantly in the air current they were riding. “Where the hell have you been?”

Zane pulled off his mask, his lips already quirked into a mischievous grin. “We had a bet.”

"Fuck." Ty gave a long-suffering sigh and held out his hand. "Fine. Give me the damn hat."

Zane reached back over the railing and took a cloth-wrapped bundle from Digger, who climbed onto the ship but stayed sitting on the railing, his lips twitching with barely repressed laughter. Zane unwrapped it, his lower lip caught between his teeth in his obvious glee. As irritating as the whole thing was, Ty found Zane’s excitement rather endearing. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Aha!" Zane held up the hat with a flourish. From behind Ty, Kelly and Nick clapped and whistled.

Ty snatched it and flipped it around. It was tri-corner, the dark leather worn at the creases and folds. Matching leather ties pulled the corners together properly, their edges fraying. “Couldn’t find me a new one?”

"Figured you’d appreciate the character." Zane plucked it from Ty’s grasp and plopped it on his head, adjusting it this way and that.

Ty batted him away and mashed the hat down low on his forehead. “Happy?”

Zane rubbed a palm over his jaw, his grin so wide, his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Looking good…” His voice dropped as he leaned closer. “Captain Grady.”

Ty’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his head back to look at Zane carefully. “Don’t patronize me, Garrett.”

Zane’s chuckle rumbled through his chest. He poked a finger at the hat, tipping it back a little so he could nuzzle Ty’s temple. “Would never dream of it, sir.”

Ty sighed and closed his eyes as heat washed through his body and curled in his gut. “That’s the only time I’ll ever hear that, isn’t it.”

"Yep."

"You’re an asshole."

"You love me." Zane kissed him on the cheek and backed away, the tip of his tongue poking between his teeth as he smiled.

Ty’s eyes crossed as he looked up at the hat on his head. One week. He just had to wear the damn thing for one week. Although, he’d never admit it to anyone, now that it was on his head, he kinda liked it. “I need some rum now. That’s a very piratey thing.”

"No rum," Kelly spoke up.

"Why?"

"It’s all gone." He shrugged and leaned back against Nick’s chest, his teeth playing with the rings on the side of his lower lip.

Ty huffed. “But why is all the rum gone?”

"Give it a rest, Grady." Digger clapped him on the shoulder as he passed.

"Does no one call me captain on this ship?" Ty went to fold his arms then remembered and made a frustrated noise. "Nick, arm."

Nick’s impish grin crawled across his face. “Aye-Aye, Captain.” He touched two fingers to his forehead and backed away laughing, his arm around Kelly’s shoulders.

"Everyone’s a fucking joker," he muttered as he followed Zane to the main cabin. He kicked the door shut behind him, rubbing the ache in his shoulder.

Zane threw his mask on the table and tilted his head at Ty. “You all right?”

"Hmm? Yeah. Just sore." He pursed his lips at wires hanging where a limb should be. "This is so weird."

Zane snaked an arm around Ty’s waist from behind and nuzzled his neck. “Nick’ll have a new one for you soon.” He kissed the skin lightly.

Ty sighed and melted back against his lover, some of the tension seeping from his body. “It’s just…”

"Weird." Zane finished with a smile in his voice.

"I liked that arm. I had history with that arm."

"Ty, you’ve only had it for four years. And it was beat to hell anyway."

"I was proud of those scratches, and it turned into a gun. You don’t understand."

Zane hooked his chin on Ty’s shoulder. “No, I get it. It was a part of you and now it’s gone.”

"You think Nick can fix it?" he asked, unable to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.

"If anyone can, he will. Otherwise he’ll build you a new one." Zane’s thumb traced circles over the muscled ridges of Ty’s abdomen.

Ty turned his face and pressed his forehead to Zane’s temple. “I don’t want a new one. I want my arm. I want her back, Zane.”

Zane laughed softly at Ty’s petulant tone. “Her…” He shifted enough to brush his lips across Ty’s. “Well, the hat’s sexy.”

"It’s not too bad," Ty mumbled.

Zane shook his head and moved away, giving Ty’s ass a pat as he did. “Pirate.”

"You love me," Ty echoed Zane’s earlier statement. He adjusted his new hat and stared out the windows. The sky was mostly clear, wisps of clouds dotting the blue here and there. Sidewinder flew fairly low, following a merchant lane while they figured out their next step. With Kelly’s eyes recovering, Ty’s arm missing, and Zane still on the mend from their run-in with the twins, they’d decided a few days to float would be the best decision.

"Where’re we headed next?" Ty turned away from the windows and spun the map on the table to face himself.

Zane picked up his crazy tablet thing and tapped a few buttons. “I really have no fucking clue. I asked Digger to tell me which of these items would be the most important and he said it’d be on the drive we already have. Can’t build the bomb without the instructions.”

"Okay," Ty drew out the word slowly. "What about next important?"

Zane shrugged. “Any of them. Basically we’d be throwing darts. Heading somewhere randomly.” He sat in one of the chairs and put his elbows on the table.

"What’s wrong with that plan?"

"Ty."

He hitched his shoulders. “I’m serious. Fuck. Just put them on the wall and we’ll throw a knife. Look,” he spun a chair and straddled it. “The Baron is probably doing the same thing. He can’t build it until he has all the parts. We collect parts and he comes after us. I don’t think it matters at this point what parts we have.”

"Because he wants the drive."

Ty nodded. “Burns, too.”

"Shit." Zane scrubbed his hands down his face. The shadows under his eyes looked darker than yesterday even though Ty was back safe and sound. The lines around his mouth looked deeper, more pronounced. And he could have sworn the dusting of silver hair at Zane’s temples had grown. Not that he didn’t find that ridiculously sexy.

"You look tired," Ty observed quietly.

"Nice way of saying I look like hell?"

He smirked.

Zane snorted and shook his head. “Well you look like you’ve lost weight.”

Ty threw his hat at the other man. “That was cold, Zane. Cold.”

Zane threw it back, his face a mass of laugh lines and his eyes dancing. He glanced at the tablet. “Okay, pick a number one through four.”

"Eight."

"Ty."

"Six."

Zane stared at him. “Are you done?”

Ty snickered and waved his hand. “I’m coping with the loss of a limb.”

"More like the loss of your brain."

"You’re supposed to feel sorry for me, darlin’."

Zane rolled his eyes and held out Ty’s hat. “You lost the thing four years go. Sympathy well is dry.”

"Harsh. Fine. Two." Ty snatched his hat back and slid it onto his head at an angle. He both did and did not want to know how ridiculous he looked.

Zane scanned the list. “Detonator. Again.”

Ty groaned. “Because that went so well last time.”

"I’ll go this time. I’ll take Digger and Elias." Zane frowned at the tablet as he thought.

"We could all go," Ty ventured as a sliver of panic slid into his chest. Zane’s ability to breathe on the ground always worried him.

Zane smiled softly, understanding in his eyes. “We’ll attract too much attention and you know that. Plus you’re down a limb which will just piss you off more. Kelly’s eyes are still damaged and Nick’s gone into mama bear mode. I don’t think he’ll let Kelly leave the nest anytime soon. Especially when he finds out we’re heading back to Spain.” He continued tapping keys on his tablet.

Ty frowned but didn’t protest even though he wanted to. He knew Zane was right. He just hated feeling so fucking useless. And until Nick had either fixed his arm or built him a new one, he was stuck on the ship playing the part of captain but not actually doing anything. He lurched out of his chair and headed for the door. “I’m going to go see if Sanchez needs help in the kitchen.”

"Ty?"

Ty stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"We get this done and we disappear, okay?"

"For how long?" he asked quietly.

"Ever."

~*~

Elias was whistling a nameless tune when Ty sauntered through the open kitchen door. He arched an eyebrow and pointed at Ty’s hat with his knife. “Nice.”

Ty gave a lazy shrug and rubbed his neck, his eyes never staying focused on one thing. “You need any help?”

"Sure. Add these," he pointed to the pile of diced vegetables next to him, "to that." He pointed to the massive pot on the stove. Broth bubbled away, filling the room with a rich spicy aroma.

Ty moved to do what he was told, managing to drop the veggies one handful at a time into the pot. They worked in silence for a long while, Elias deftly chopping and Ty transferring. Elias knew the steady routine was good for Ty’s OCD. He’d asked him to chop veggies once and regretted it when Ty took way too long getting each piece the same size. But this was fine. It occupied his buzzing brain and Elias was content to let him use it as a distraction until he needed to talk.

He resumed his whistling. Ty started humming along. The humming and whistling turned into singing with Ty picking up the harmonies. Elias reached over and flipped the comm box open so their voices filtered through the ship. Ty grinned but didn’t stop, launching into another verse as he continued to move piles of vegetables into the pot. They sang another verse and finished with Ty hitting a particularly lovely note that made Elias smile. As they trailed off, whistles and cheers came through the comm in response.

Elias closed the comm and clapped Ty on the shoulder. “That was good.”

He nodded, laughing softly. “Yeah, thanks.”

"Feeling better now?"

Ty opened his mouth, presumably to deny he’d been feeling bad, then snapped it shut and nodded. “Yeah, a little.”

Elias leaned against the counter and folded his arms. He stayed silent, knowing if Ty needed to talk he would. And he usually did. Something about Elias made the guys open up. He rarely gave advice unless it was asked for. He usually just listened and, most of the time, that’s all they needed.

Ty frowned as he dropped the diced cubes of potato into the boiling broth with little plops. “Feeling a little lacking.” He gestured faintly to his empty shoulder.

Elias passed him the final bowl of potatoes.

"I should have paid more attention in Spain."

"So you’d still have your arm?"

Ty snorted. “No, so Kelly would have been safe.”

Elias started breaking down a whole chicken into its various pieces.

"I mean, his eyes are fucked. He says they’re getting better but he hasn’t taken off the goggles since we got back and he doesn’t come out of the shade when he’s out on the deck." Ty grabbed the chicken parts Elias separated them and lowered them into the soup.

"Well, some shit usually takes more than twenty-four hours to heal. I wouldn’t throw yourself on the coals just yet."

Ty watched while Elias carved the breasts from the ribs. “He was in chains, Eli.”

"I know," he replied evenly. "Again, not your fault."

"Your logic makes it really hard to pout about this," Ty grumbled.

Elias laughed. He knew Ty just needed to bitch to someone who wasn’t Zane. He dropped the rest of the chicken into the pot and put the lid on. “Hey, you’re alive. Kelly’s alive. Cuts heal, yeah?” He moved to the sink and washed his hands.

Ty nodded, the lines of his face hard. Elias punched him lightly on the shoulder. “You can’t pout like this with such a fancy hat.”

"Not you too," he groaned. "Wait, didn’t you lose the sword fight? Why are you up here instead of below deck with Owen?"

He laughed. “I was down there this morning. Annoyed the fuck out of him pretending I had no idea what I was doing so he sent me away. I’ll go back tomorrow and maybe actually help.”

Ty blinked at him, the corners of his mouth twitching. Finally, he doubled over laughing, unable to keep it in. “You’re evil.”

Elias winked and shrugged.

They froze at the boom from below deck followed by a shudder that rolled through the ship.

"Come on, baby, hold together," Ty murmured as he reached for the comm and flipped it open. "Hey, Owen?"

A string of curses in about four different languages came crackling through the tiny box. Elias winced. “Probably my fault.” He took off the apron. “Don’t touch the soup.”

"I wasn’t going to touch your damn soup." Ty followed him out onto the main walkway that ran the circumference of the ship. "You want me to come with?"

Elias waved a hand. “Nah. I probably just screwed something up earlier. I should go check.”

"All right. Let me know, okay?"

"Yep." Elias jogged down the walkway to the rear of the ship and hauled open the heavy wooden door that led to the bowels of Sidewinder. Otherwise known as The Den or Don’t You Fucking Come Down Here Unless You Have a Good Goddamn Reason. Owen lorded over most of the level, keeping the ship running as smoothly as possible. Nick had claimed a decent-sized corner as his workshop. You could always hear various bangs and random noises coming from inside. Elias dodged a clockwork rat as he navigated the catwalk.

Nick’s door was open and he was standing in the doorway frowning down the walk towards Owen’s end of things. When he caught sight of Elias, he arched an eyebrow. “Any idea what’s going on?”

He shook his head. “Going to go check. I might have broken something earlier today.”

Nick grinned. “Eh, it’s good for Owen. Just be careful.”

Another muffled boom and the catwalk trembled under their feet.

"The hell is happening?" Kelly appeared in the doorway, goggles firmly in place even in the dim, windowless room. A mechanical weasel perched on his shoulder, occasionally leaning over to nuzzle his hair.

"Sanchez is checking," Nick said. "You want me to join you?"

"Nah, I got it. Don’t want to be accused of taking you away from Ty’s arm." Elias grinned at Nick’s eye roll.

"Impatient fucker is going to get some rebar and a few bolts for a new arm and I’ll call it a day if he doesn’t quit bitching about it."

"I would actually pay money to see that." Elias glanced down the walk.

Nick stared at him, his eyes widening slightly. “Oh….oh, I just had the best idea.”

"And that’s my cue to leave so I can deny I knew anything about it when Ty decides to shoot you." Elias backed away.

Kelly nodded. “Probably a good plan.”

"Hey, doc," Elias called as he started to walk away. "You doing okay?"

"Yes, mom, I’m fine," Kelly chirped.

He snorted. “Good boy.”

"Hey," Nick grumbled.

Elias laughed and headed toward the engine room where the bangs were originating. “Owen!”

No answer.

Another crash and a boom from the engine room. The catwalk shook so hard it rattled. What the hell was going on in there?

A series of bangs rang out but these came from above deck. Elias stopped when he heard yelling, contemplating heading back, but he wanted to make sure Owen was alive and unhurt. “Owen!”

Still no answer.

His gut twisted uncomfortably as he threaded his way across the rickety walks. The lights flickered after another boom shook the ship. Three clockwork rats shot down the walk in the opposite direction, causing Elias to curse in surprise and jump out of the way. He watched them disappear into the shadows, shaking his head at Nick’s ridiculous creatures. He turned around to keep heading to the engine, opening his mouth to call out for Owen again.

Pain exploded in the side of his face.

The world tipped sideways.

A distant boom.

Another shudder.

Then nothing.

~*~

Nick bent over the mangled remains of Ty’s arm. He’d first tried repairing the thing but most of the plates were so bent that straightening them would render the arm weaker overall. Plus the inside was torn to shit. The gun was missing, which Nick felt oddly sad about. He’d been proud of that little addition and got a thrill out of Ty’s love for it.

Now, he was just salvaging parts. A partially reconstructed arm sat off to one side. The rest of his worktable was buried under copper and steel plates, various sized gears, wires of all colors of the rainbow, and a half a dozen tools. Kelly sat on a counter with his clockwork weasel, his bare feet occasionally banging the cabinets. He’d never admit it, but Nick was glad for the noise. It meant his Kelly was back…or at least getting there. The other night when Kelly had finally confided in him, it had taken every ounce of willpower to lay in bed quietly and just listen. In reality, he wanted to hunt down every last scientist on that project and rearrange their body parts. He couldn’t fathom what Kelly had been through but he was amazed the man was so well-adjusted. Although, he saw the lazy, happy attitude for what it was now — Kelly’s response to not knowing if he’d have a tomorrow.

Live in the moment.

Fuck the consequences.

It was an admirable sentiment but knowing the motivation behind it made his heart hurt.

"Bored now," Kelly sing-songed from the counter.

"Why don’t you go up top and climb?" he suggested.

"Would rather stay here with you."

Nick smiled as he worked, happy that such a simple statement could still make his chest flutter.

The booms and crashes interrupted anything he was going to suggest next. His worktable shuddered as a rumble rolled through the ship. Several crashes came from their level, more toward the engine room. Another few came from above. Copper plates rattled to the floor.

"Are we under attack?" Kelly asked. He put the weasel on his shoulder and hopped off the counter.

"Hang on." Nick reached the doorway right as Elias appeared. After the man was gone, Nick grabbed his thigh holster and strapped it on. Kelly checked his pistols. Nick frowned at him. "Can you see well enough to shoot?"

Kelly nodded. “I’ll keep to the shadows. I do my best work there anyway.”

"That statement shouldn’t turn me on as much as it does," Nick muttered as they headed for the stairs.

Kelly laughed as they pushed open the heavy door. Nick grabbed the back of Kelly’s neck and pushed him down as splintered railing hit the door where their heads had been. “Yes, we’re under attack.”

"Well hot damn," Kelly muttered. He spun his pistols around his index fingers, a slow grin crawling over his face. "Who do you think it is?"

Nick stood and caught sight of the massive black airship following them. “Fuck. It’s Warrior’s Cross.”

"Smith and Wesson?" Kelly stood. "How the fuck do they keep finding us?"

"No idea." He craned his neck. "Can you get to the upper level? To the big gun?"

"And I thought you were going to ask me to do something difficult." Kelly shoved his pistols in his thigh holsters. He fisted Nick’s shirt and kissed him quick and messy, then scaled the side of the cabin wall to a series of ropes and chains.

Nick took off toward the main cabin, keeping low as bullets smacked the wall randomly. Wood splinters buzzed through the air, biting at his cheeks and arms. Warrior’s Cross wasn’t close enough to do major damage yet but they were gaining fast. He bypassed the cabin door and hit the stairs to the roof. Ty, Zane, and Digger were already up there. “Owen and Elias?”

"Down below. Owen says something hit one of the engines and he’s trying to keep it from crapping out," Digger answered as he held a rag to his forehead. "Where’s Kelly?"

"Heading upstairs to the big gun." Nick moved to one of the three big-barrel cannons that adorned the cabin roof. "What happened to you?"

"Ship threw him into a wall," Zane answered without taking his eyes off the pursuing ship.

"This keeps up and the entire crew’ll be injured before the week’s end," Nick muttered.

Ty nodded seriously. “We should probably wrap you in something. You bruise easy.”

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to go finish building your arm so I can beat you with it.”

"At least the damn thing’ll be done."

"Children," Zane murmured. His arms were folded across his chest, his eyes narrowed and assessing. A cold calm rolled off him. "We need to take out the main mast. It’ll cripple them but not crash them."

"Where’s the fun in that?" Ty grumbled as helped Nick position the heavy gun. "Seeing those two fuckers drop out of the sky like a stone seems like a fantastic idea."

"Agreed. But I’d rather find out how everyone seems to know where we are all the time," Zane answered patiently.

"Oh. Right." Ty loaded the heavy shells and snapped the casing shut. He gestured to the gun and grinned at Nick. "After you, my dear."

"Thanks, darling." Nick stepped up to the beast and lined up the shot. "Can we swing around, cut them off so they have to bank?"

"You think they’ll bank instead of ramming us?" Zane asked as he moved to steering.

Nick shrugged. “I don’t think ramming us is in anyone’s best interests.”

"Worth a shot." Zane spun the wheel. Sidewinder lurched and tipped as she swung sharply into the path of the oncoming airship. Ty flailed and grabbed onto Nick’s shoulder. Nick braced himself and pulled the trigger, grunting as the kickback nearly punched him in the chest. He kept firing as they turned, punching holes in various parts of the massive ship.

"Aim for the mast, Nick!" Zane yelled.

"Tell them to hold the fuck still, Zane!" Nick snapped back.

"Children!" Ty hollered over the booming. Nick glared at him. Ty grinned, the sight frighteningly alarming in front of the backdrop of gunfire and splintering ships.

As predicted, the dark ship began to turn but it soon became apparent they wouldn’t clear Sidewinder in time. “Shit, they’re going to glance off our nose.” Zane spun the wheel the other way and flipped open the comm box. “Owen, we need to turn and turn fast!”

"Fucking hilarious because whatever you just did opened up a Pandora’s box of problems down here," Owen yelled back.

"Is that a yes or no?" Ty growled into the box.

"I’ll try."

Ty mimed a neck throttling motion at the box and spun around. Booms rang out from above as Kelly spun off gunfire from the big gun on the second level.

Nick held his breath as the spray made a beeline for the main mast section of the other ship. “Come on, Kels…”

Sidewinder shifted into another turn. Nick spun the gun around to follow the motion and watched the line of bullet holes eat a path closer to the main mast. He lined up his shot and fired, hoping this shell plus the spray from Kelly would be enough.

The explosion lit up the sky and a great cracking sound echoed across the air. Ty crowed as they watched the massive mast section splinter and swing down in a sweeping arc. Their elation was short-lived as the forward momentum of Warrior’s Cross plus Sidewinder’s inability to turn fast enough meant the ship’s nose plowed into theirs in a glancing blow. Nick held onto the gun as the ship tilted dangerously to one side before spinning away into the open air.

"Owen!" Zane yelled.

"We’re in a free-fall! That blow killed the main engine!"

"Can you start it again?" Ty asked.

"Would we be talking about it if I could?"

"I really hate him sometimes," Ty said to Nick.

"No, you don’t." Nick ran to the edge of the railing and peered down. "We’re over water! We can land there."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ty yelled.

"It’s a _boat_ , Tyler. It can land in water.” Nick glared at him.

"I hate water," Ty growled.

"You’ll get over it." Nick moved to the comm box. "Kelly!"

"Yo!"

"Brace for impact!"

"The fuck did you do?"

In spite of the situation, Nick laughed. “Broke the ship.”

"We need to have a serious discussion about this, babe."

Ty pushed Nick out of the way. “Owen, can you get the engines started again?”

"I’m working on it. You’re interrupting me," came the crackled response.

Then the line went dead.


	8. Splash Down

Sidewinder groaned as she fell from the sky. Stressed metal shrieked as the ship tried to break apart under the force of her descent. Anything not bolted down tumbled across the decks, slamming into walls or pitching overboard. Two smaller secondary engines chugged along, trying to stall the inevitable as the broad plane of water grew larger and more defined with each passing moment. Those were the only things keeping them from dropping like a rock instead of the barely controlled half fall, half glide they were in.

Owen kicked the main engine. “Come on, you piece of shit!”

The engine sputtered, made a horrible screeching sound, and died. With a growl, he flung a wrench at it then spun away to see what power he could pump into the two remaining engines. They wouldn’t be enough to keep the ship flying, but they might cushion their landing enough so the ship stayed in one piece.

More or less.

"All right, ladies, make daddy proud." He bent over the massive computer system in the middle of the engine room, his fingers flying over the twin keyboards. He flipped the comm box open, wincing at the annoying burst of static. "I can keep us in a glide, boys, but we’re going swimming." He slapped it shut right as Ty began cursing loudly and violently. He pulled every ounce of power from the now-dead main engine and funneled it into the two straining secondary engines. The ship shuddered under his feet, a groan echoing through the catwalks. He frowned at the screen and turned away from the console, grabbing the railing and vaulting over it. He reached one of the secondary engines, stumbling as the ship pitched to one side then righted herself again.

Owen ripped open the panel on the side of the engine, blew on his fingertips, then went to work hastily rewiring as much of the power flow as he could between now and impact. The engines roared as the sudden influx of power pushed through the twin systems. The landing was still going to hurt like a bitch.

He grabbed onto one of the welded legs of the main catwalk right as Sidewinder kissed the ocean with the force of two lovers reunited.

~*~

Zane grabbed Ty and pulled the other man down, wrapping his free arm around one of the gun supports. Over the roar of the wind and the distressed screaming of the ship, he heard Ty biting out curse after curse as he held onto Zane. He pressed his face into Ty’s cheek. Ty turned so his lips brushed Zane’s ear as he spoke. “If we live through this, I’m turning that fucking bounty ship into toothpicks!”

Zane laughed and nodded, tightening his hold as the air grew cooler and he heard the sounds of ships and shouts over everything else. They pressed their faces into each other’s necks. The landing jolted them hard, sending Zane back into the gun and Ty out of his grip. Ty tumbled toward a section of railing blown out by the earlier attack, the drop a good twenty feet to the deck below if it was still intact. Nick snagged the back of Ty’s shirt, managing to halt his progress with a pained yell as his arm was jerked backward. Ty twisted around and grabbed Nick’s arm, pulling himself up until he could grab onto something more secure.

Two walls of water rose on either side of the ship, curling at their peaks and washing over the decks. Zane’s mask protected his nose and mouth from the incoming spray, but everyone and everything was drenched. The ship rose on a crest, plunged back down, and tilted dangerously to one side before she righted herself. The roaring and screeching and crashing cut off suddenly, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

Zane hauled himself to his feet, sliding a little on the slippery deck and hit the comm box. “Owen!”

"Still alive," came the crackled response. "Engines are dead. The secondaries burned out trying to keep us in one piece."

"Any leaks?"

"None that I can see offhand. I’ll explore the level and let you know."

"Elias okay?"

Crackling silence met his question.

"Owen?"

"I thought he was up there with you guys?"

Cold spread through Zane’s chest. “No, you said he was down there with you.”

"No, I said he might be coming down here since we had a fucking bet. I never saw him."

Zane wiped water out of his eyes and clenched his fist. “Find him, Owen.”

"On it." The comm went silent.

"I’ll go down and see if there are any leaks and help look for Eli." Nick’s voice drifted across the deck.

"I’ll help." Kelly landed on the wood lightly, having jumped down from his perch up top.

"You guys okay?" Zane turned around.

Nick rotated his shoulder. “Almost snapped my arm in half saving your boyfriend but I’ll live.”

"I’m wet." Kelly grinned. "That was a ride, wasn’t it? When can I go swimming?"

"Come on, water monkey." Nick grabbed the back of Kelly’s neck and directed him off the deck.

Zane looked over at Digger, who was crouched next to one of the guns. “Those make it?”

Digger shrugged. “Give me a minute to look at them and I’ll let you know.”

Zane knelt next to Ty, who was still sitting on the deck. “Your hat survived.”

"Shut up," Ty grumbled. "Are we in one piece?"

"Ship seems to be. Eli’s missing though."

A muscle ticked on the side of Ty’s jaw and he nodded tightly. “He’s probably taking a nap below deck. Asshole could sleep through a tornado.”

"Are you all right?" Zane’s gaze skated over Ty’s body, looking for signs of bleeding or trauma.

"I’m missing an arm."

"Besides that."

Ty arched an eyebrow. “There’s something more important than my arm?”

"Impending death."

"Ah. Yeah, no. Free of that." Ty coughed and wiped water out of his face. "I’m wet, Zane."

"Mhm, usually happens around water." Zane helped Ty to his feet. Ty pulled off his hat and dumped the collected water out of the folds. He frowned at it then put it back on without any fuss. He looked around then made his way down the stairs to the main deck.

The damage was slight from where they stood. A few crates gone. Railing splintered or missing entirely. Bullet holes across the cabin wall. Ty put his hand on his hip. “Well. It could be worse.”

"We could be dead," Zane said.

Ty choked a laugh. “Yes, doomsayer, that would definitely be worse. I meant the ship.”

Zane righted a fallen barrel and spun it back against the wall. He squinted at the sky. “They didn’t follow us down.”

"Maybe we crippled them enough." Ty’s eyes narrowed at the sky.

Shouts of alarm from below deck interrupted anything Zane was going to say. Without a word, he and Ty took off to the rear of the ship. They pounded down the stairs, dodging fallen pipes and leaping over missing sections of catwalk. Deeper into the level beyond Nick’s workshop, they came across Kelly kneeling next to a still figure on the ground. It was too dark to tell what was going on, but Nick’s eyes were wide, his thumb dragging over his lower lip as he watched. Owen was on the far side, his face pale and partly shadowed by the flickering lights.

"Fuck…Eli…" Ty breathed as he skidded to a stop. "Kelly?"

"He’s alive," Kelly announced, his voice tight. "But hurt bad. We need to get him to the infirmary."

"Anything broken?" Zane asked around the rock in his throat.

Kelly shook his head. “Not that I can tell.” He stood and moved out of the way as Zane and Nick came forward and picked Eli off the ground. Working together, they got him through the walks and up the stairs to the infirmary. Kelly shooed them out of the room so he could work but Ty refused to leave. As the infirmary door clicked shut in their faces, a heavy quiet settled over the rest of the crew. Zane stared at the door. “What happened?”

"I found him on the ground like that," Owen answered quietly. "I never heard him yell or anything."

"Kels and I last saw him right before we came up top," Nick said. He raked a hand through his hair and looked out over the water.

Zane chewed on his lower lip. The gash across Elias’ temple was ugly but, until Kelly did a complete exam, they wouldn’t know any more. Right now, he felt helpless. “Owen, come help me look for leaks.”

Owen nodded somberly.

Nick held up a palm before Zane could speak. “Ty’s arm. I’ll be in my shop.”

"Thanks." Zane stopped by the stairs leading up to the cabin deck. "Digger!"

Digger poked his head over the railing. “Just some loose connections and water damage. They’ll be golden.”

"Good to hear." Zane continued on with Owen trailing after him. He glanced back, arching an eyebrow at Owen’s pensive expression. "What’s up?"

"I didn’t hear him yell." Owen frowned at the ground. "I should have heard him." He tapped his robotic ear.

"You were busy with the engines."

"I still should have heard him," he insisted. "Christ, if he—"

"No." Zane stopped and pinned him with a hard stare. "Don’t even fucking go there. That’s pointless."

Owen curled his lip but nodded.

For the next two hours, Zane and Owen scoured the lower level of the ship. They found three leaks and managed to repair them before the compartments were flooded. Soaked with more sea water and sweat and sporting a few extra bruises from slipping and falling, they made their way to the engine room. Zane peered at the three engines while Owen wiped off with a towel and changed his shirt. “How bad?”

Owen threw the towel at Zane then moved to the computers. “The main one is shot. The other two burned out on landing. I won’t know more until I can get in there.”

"So we’re dead in the water?" Zane wiped his arms, face, and neck off.

"Until you rig up the sails and pop the rudder out of its housing, yeah."

Zane nodded. “What do you need?”

"Time. Parts."

"Get what you need from Nick. If you need more, we’ll figure it out." Zane tossed the towel over the railing and moved to leave. "And Owen?"

Owen looked up from the computer.

"Not your fault." Zane left the engine room and made his way through the walks to Nick’s shop. He whistled as he walked inside. A few bins had overturned, spilling their contents across the floor. Kelly’s clockwork weasel sat perched on Nick’s shoulder. Various metal bugs scurried up the walls. Pieces of Ty’s arm covered the main worktable. Something resembling a new arm was taking shape under Nick’s hands.

"How’s it going?"

Nick jumped and reached for his gun before he realized it was Zane. “Fucking hell, man.”

Zane laughed. “Jumpy?”

Nick grumbled and sat back in his chair. He pushed the goggles up on his forehead and rubbed his eyes. “Any word on Eli?”

"Going up to check now. Just got done fixing holes."

"Good to know we aren’t sinking." Nick moved a few plates around before finding one that apparently pleased him and setting it on the side of the arm.

"Tends to be a bonus," Zane murmured. "How’s that?"

He shrugged. “Resembles an arm. I don’t know if I can put another shotgun in it. I might be able to rig up a pistol cuff or a knife slide.”

"Ty prefers guns."

Nick snorted. “Yes, this I know.” He slid the goggles back down. “All right, pistol cuff it is.”

"When will it be done?"

Nick frowned at his table. “Maybe today. Don’t know. I’ll try.”

Zane nodded. “I’ll try to keep him distracted.”

"That’d be helpful. Send Kelly down here when he’s done with Eli, yeah?"

"Will do." Zane made his way up top, checking in with Digger on his way to the infirmary. Ty was standing outside, leaning against the railing and staring at the ocean lapping at their ship. "Ty?"

"He’s still unconscious. Kelly doesn’t know when he’ll wake up." Ty’s eyes were dark, the lines of his face hard and thrown into shadow from his hat. "He was attacked."

Zane froze. “How does he know?”

Ty shook his head. “He could tell by the wounds. Someone jumped him. We were spread out. You and me and Digger up here. Nick and Kelly below in his shop. Owen alone in the engine room.”

"You don’t really think it was one of us, do you?"

"Either that or we have a stowaway." Ty rubbed his fingers over his mouth and fiddled with a loose rope end. He rolled his shoulders as he thought, his eyes darting this way and that.

Zane leaned against the rail. “I vote stowaway. I don’t believe any of our guys would attack each other.”

Ty was silent.

"Ty?"

"We know for a fact it wasn’t either of us or Digger."

"It wasn’t Kelly, Nick, or Owen either," Zane said carefully. "Come on, you’ve known Nick since you were ten."

"I know that," Ty bit out. "Shit."

"Okay, breathe. We search the ship for a stowaway. Deck by deck."

"We go in pairs," Ty added. A line appeared between his brows. "What if we don’t find one?"

Zane reached out and smoothed the line between Ty’s brows with his fingertip. He didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to entertain even the notion that one of his men went dark side. “Even if there was a stowaway, they could have jumped when we crashed.”

"Zane."

"It’s an option and you know it. Do you _want_ someone here to be rogue?”

"Fuck no." Ty’s eyes went wide. "I just have a weird feeling in my gut."

"Shit," Zane muttered. Ty’s gut feelings were usually spot on. Zane had learned the hard way on more than one occasion to trust them. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Okay, we search first. What do we tell the guys?"

Ty rolled his lips inward. “That we’re looking for a stowaway. Kelly’ll tell Nick about Eli anyway so it’s pointless to keep it from them.”

Zane nodded, a tiny bubble of relief taking root. He hated keeping secrets from the crew. “What if we don’t find a stowaway?”

Ty glanced at Zane then back out at the water. “We say they probably jumped ship.”

His tiny bubble popped. “That’s it?”

"If it is one of them, and I pray to every god of every religion it isn’t, he’ll know we’re onto him." Ty gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned white. "Fuck."

Zane rubbed his temple where a headache began its dull pound. “If they find out…”

"I know," Ty said quietly. "We’re fucked either way we look at it." He looked at Zane. "I can’t think of another solution. If we hadn’t found Eli, he would’ve died down there. Alone. I can’t live with that."

"I know." Zane’s headache pounded harder. "Dammit."

~*~

Kelly cracked his neck and massaged a cramp in his lower back. He frowned at the bandages wrapped around Elias’ head. He’d seen enough wounds caused by accident and wounds caused on purpose to know the difference and this one screamed attack. And didn’t that just make his gut ball up? He pulled in a shaky breath and pushed his goggles up. He rubbed his aching eyes and opened them slowly, wincing at the sunlight filtering in around the cracks in the closed door. With a sigh, he fitted the dark goggles over his eyes, throwing his world back into deep shadow with faint blue, white, and purple lines. He checked the monitors connecting Elias to the machines and grabbed the remote that would let him know if anything went amiss while he was gone.

He reached for the knob but froze as he heard Ty and Zane’s voices right outside. He couldn’t make out what they were saying but the tones sounded heavy, upset. Ty’s face when they’d both seen the wound after Kelly had cleaned it off had been positively murderous. He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment then opened the door. “Stop with the sweet nothings. I don’t need to see that shit.”

Zane laughed and even Ty smiled. Okay, good.

"He’s stable. He’ll be fine. It was a pretty crazy blow to the head but his skull’s intact. Head wounds bleed a shit ton which is why it looked worse than it was." He fiddled with the cuff around his right wrist, refusing to think about the bruising and scars underneath. "I’ve got him hooked up to monitors and enough painkillers in him to keep him under for at least twenty-four hours. So, we’ll see."

"Thanks, Kelly," Ty said tightly.

Zane nodded once.

Silence sauntered up and sat down in between them. Kelly coughed and jerked a thumb toward the rear of the ship. “I’m gonna go find Nick. You guys yell at me if you need me.” He didn’t wait for a response and jogged toward the doors to below deck. The sunlight sparkled off the ocean and he stopped to watch the waves roll for a moment. He caught sight of a couple of fins slicing the water as shadows from airships rippled across the blue.

He wondered if he could go swimming later.

Kelly pulled open the doors and slipped inside, blinking as his eyes welcomed the darkness when the door slammed shut behind him. He waited until the details of the darkened level came into focus. When they crashed, most of the lights had died and the ones that were still working flickered haphazardly. He padded down the stairs on bare feet, pausing as a click click drifted down the walk ahead of him. He squinted and thought he caught a glimpse of something moving. “Who’s there?”

No answer.

_No shit, Kelly. Like a murderer is going to announce himself._

He dropped his chin, straining his hearing since he couldn’t trust his eyes. For the first time since he’d been experimented on, he couldn’t trust his special eyes. He swallowed the fear that settled around his shoulders and stayed in the shadows.

Click click click click.

Blue and purple sleek lines darted along the floor and he smiled. “Cecily.” He crouched and let the weasel crawl up his arm to his neck. “Don’t scare me like that, pretty girl.” He scratched her chin and straightened, freezing when movement caught the corner of his vision. He frowned and squinted through the goggles, hoping to catch sight of whatever it was again.

Nothing.

"Kelly?"

"Fucking hell oh my god, Nick. Don’t fucking sneak up on me like that. Jesus H." Kelly clutched his chest and tried to get a handle on his breathing.

"I snuck up on you in the dark!" Nick laughed. "Fucking finally, you goddamn bastard. Serves you right, you damn shadow."

"Fuck you."

"Later." Nick tilted his head to one side and crowded Kelly against the wall. A pipe bit into Kelly’s spine but it was a faint, faraway nuisance compared to the warmth of the man pressed against his front.

"All right then," Kelly agreed easily. He rolled up on his tiptoes and pressed his mouth to Nick’s, savoring the other man’s taste and smell. "You’re still a bastard for scaring me."

Nick grinned against his lips. “I’ll take it. What were you doing hiding out in the dark anyway?”

"Thought I saw something. But it was probably my fucked up eyes."

"They aren’t fucked up." Nick nipped at his jaw for emphasis. "Just a little broken."

Kelly hummed and wound his hands under Nick’s shirt. “Why are you out here?”

"Heard you. Came to find you. Found you."

He laughed and bit Nick’s ear. Nick pulled his head away and kissed Kelly so hard it made his head spin then grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the workshop. “Have to finish Ty’s arm. You busy?”

"Why, you need me to hold something?" Kelly asked wryly. The last time he tried to help, he ended up pissing Nick off and melting part of the project.

"No, I’m not suicidal. I just want company."

Kelly bit his bottom lip against a grin at Nick’s words. The man had his odd romantic moments and, when they happened, they were fleeting and off the cuff. But that was all part of Nick’s charm.

And he loved every second.

~*~

"We might have a stowaway." Ty leaned against the table in the main cabin. He _wanted_ to fold his arms and appear more imposing but _someone_ hadn’t finished his new arm yet. So he settled for flipping a coin over his knuckles. Back and forth.

Back and forth.

"The fuck?" Digger leaned forward from his perch on the back of the couch.

Back and forth.

Zane folded his arms and leaned on the table next to Ty. “Someone attacked Elias. He didn’t get hurt in the crash.”

Kelly nodded as he pulled up onto a counter, his bare feet swinging free. “He was hit with something blunt. Pipe. Wood. Something like that.”

"Will he be okay?" Digger asked.

Kelly nodded. “Yeah. Mother of a headache whenever he wakes up but he’ll be fine.”

"Do you think he’ll remember what happened to him?" Owen asked.

Kelly shrugged. “No idea. Maybe. Maybe not.”

"You think stowaway?" Nick asked.

Back and forth.

"It’s either that or someone in this room attacked him," Ty snapped. "And, honestly, I don’t want to even entertain that idea. Do you?"

Owen shook his head, his eyes wide. Across the room, Nick frowned. Kelly tugged on his shirt and pulled Nick against the counter between his knees. He hooked his chin on Nick’s shoulder, his mouth in a thin line.

"So." Ty flipped the coin. "We’re going to search the ship. We’ll split off in pairs. Owen and Kelly, below deck. Nick and Zane, upper deck. Digger and I will take the main deck. All comm boxes will stay open and connected."

"What happens if we don’t find anyone?" Owen asked.

Back and forth.

"Then they may have jumped ship already," Zane answered evenly.

Everyone nodded, faces tight, brows furrowed, eyes hard and thoughtful. Ty shoved the coin in his pocket.

Zane leaned over. “Don’t get dead.”

Ty patted Zane’s belly. “Love you too.” He pressed a kiss to his temple and pulled away, wishing like hell they didn’t have to separate. Even on his own ship. The sinking feeling in his gut had only grown stronger as the day wore on.

He watched Nick and Kelly kiss briefly, murmured words shared. Owen hung to the side, blatantly not watching them while he waited for Kelly. Digger bumped Ty’s shoulder. “What’s really going on in your brain, boss?” He spoke low so no one else heard.

Ty adjusted his hat and pasted on a schemer’s smile. “Many things, Digger. Many things.”


	9. Ming & Memory

_2344: The People’s Republic of Fifth Amsterdam_

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried unsuccessfully not to laugh. He bit the inside of his lip as he looked up, trying to maintain a straight face at the sight of Ty covered in mud from head to toe. He opened his mouth to ask if Ty needed help, but all that came out was more laughing.

"I’m glad you find this funny," Ty grumbled as he wiped mud out of his eyes. He squeezed a particularly large glob of it out of the long strands of dark hair falling in his face and threw it at Nick. Nick ducked, still laughing. Kelly and Deuce started giggling from their perches on the brick wall surrounding the dock yard they had been breaking into before Ty had his accident.

"You guys sound like a pack of hyenas." Ty accepted Nick’s offered hand and managed to get on his feet without falling over again.

Kelly sagged against Deuce, his face turning red from laughing so hard. He mouthed a few failed attempts at a comeback but couldn’t over the force of his laughter. Nick managed some semblance of control but had to hide his smirk behind a fist as Ty looked down at himself, lip curled in disgust. “Well, ah…” he managed before his voice choked off into a laugh again.

"Shut up." Ty pointed at him, hazel eyes narrowed.

"Aw, come on, Grady. It’s just some mud." Nick drew a smiley face on Ty’s chest which sent Kelly into another fit of infectious giggles. The sound rushed through Nick’s body, causing him to smile and a flush to crawl up his neck, but he ignored the implications of that feeling. It was bad enough that Ty’s crooked grin made his gut cramp. Perving on your two best friends, and having them find out, wasn’t the way he wanted to die.

Thank god Deuce was a robot.

Fucking hormones.

"Just some mud," Ty repeated flatly. He swiped a handful off his chest, destroying the smiley face and smeared it on Nick’s cheek before he could react. "Just some mud, O’Flaherty!"

"Oh, you asshole." Nick pointed at him.

Ty grinned widely, wiggling his fingers in a _bring it_ gesture. Nick was about to push off and tackle the guy, but Deuce jumped down from his perch and came between them. “Okay, kids. We got work to do.” He grabbed Ty by the back of the shirt and hauled him toward the leaking water pump that originally created the mud pit.

Nick wiped his face with his fingers, getting the larger globs of mud off but smearing the rest.

"Here." Kelly jumped down and handed him a handkerchief from his back pocket.

Nick arched an eyebrow at the lace edging. “Bit fancy for you.”

"Aw, my bad, your mom left it in my bed last night." Kelly’s tongue poked between his teeth as he grinned, his oddly bright eyes scrunching up behind the dark red lenses of his glasses.

"Did you borrow her shirt, too?" Nick wiped his face off and gestured to the too-tight dark green tank top Kelly wore over his slender chest.

Kelly tugged at the bottom of it, trying to get it to fall below the waistband of his pants. “I need to steal new clothes.”

Nick threw the ruined handkerchief to one side and slung his arm around Kelly’s shoulders. “One day, my friend, we won’t have to steal anything.”

"Where’s the fun in that?" Kelly jabbed Nick in the ribs and ducked out of his hold, his laugh warming Nick’s skin. He jogged off to help Deuce hose down Ty. Nick frowned and made a mental note to give Kelly more of his food next time they ate. The kid was too skinny—all sharp edges and no muscle.

He shoved his fists in his pockets and walked over to them, grinning lazily at Ty. “You look like a drowned rat.”

Ty shook his head like a dog, water droplets spraying all of them. He raked his fingers through it, slicking it back, and then flipped Nick off with both hands.

Nick laughed. “Watch it, or I’ll cut those off.”

"Then you’d have to build me new ones, Gadget Boy," he retorted before turning to Deuce. "Right, where to?"

Deuce pointed deeper into the dock yard. “That way.” He ambled off, looking every bit the homeless thief they all were instead of a Version 2.0 Auggie in hiding. Nick knew it would get hard to explain away Deuce’s non-aging while the rest of them grew up, but, for now, he filled the role of older brother, dad, or crazy uncle perfectly. Deuce had kept him, Ty, and Kelly from being picked up by officers cleaning kids from the streets on more than one occasion. Nick couldn’t wait until they were all eighteen. One more year for him and Ty. Two for Kelly.

Ty threw a playful punch at Nick’s arm before following Deuce. Kelly flashed him a grin and padded after on bare feet. Nick honestly couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen Kelly in shoes.

They wound through the dock yard, avoiding the major pathways and staying under cover. An airship passed uncomfortably close overhead, its great engines thrumming. Others higher in the sky shouldered through the perpetual cloud cover. Ty squeezed Nick’s shoulder as he looked up with a soft smile on his face. “One day, O.”

Nick followed his gaze. “Would be pretty awesome.”

“ _Will_ be.” Ty tapped his temple and grinned. “I have plans.”

"Oh gods. Last time you had plans, I almost got shot in the ass."

"Yeah, but you didn’t, so my plan worked."

Nick snorted. “Your plan was for me to not be shot in the ass?”

"It was a subplot."

"A bullet point, if you will," Kelly offered.

"Pun penalty," Ty muttered, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "How much further?"

"Shipping container should be over there." Deuce took off again, leading them closer and closer to the main docks where workers milled.

"Uhh, D?" Nick grabbed his shoulder. "Too close to the workers, man."

"Not for me. Or you and Ty." He frowned at Kelly. "Shadows, runt."

Kelly rolled his eyes but melted away. He preferred the shadows being a pickpocket. And he was damn good at it, too. Nick had yet to sneak up on the bastard. Plus, with his scarily great eyesight, he always caught stuff before anyone else.

The three of them fell into step, shoulders hunched, heads down, hands in pockets. They wound through the container maze until they reached a smaller black one. While Ty and Nick kept watch, Deuce flipped the tip of his finger open and plugged into the electronic lock on the door. After a few moments, the container hissed and clunked. The door popped open.

"Nice." Ty clapped Deuce on the shoulder and winked at Nick. "Told you he’d come in handy."

Nick rolled his eyes as he followed them in. “I seem to remember me having to convince you to take him with us.”

Ty waved a hand dismissively, his eyes narrowing at the cargo. “Silver box.”

"Right." Nick moved to the other side, scanning the container’s contents.

Furniture. Boxes of paintings. Wooden crates marked with various non-perishable food items.

No silver box.

"Are you sure it’s silver?" Deuce asked quietly.

"That’s what Burns said." Ty spun in a slow circle, frowning. "Fucking Ming vase in a silver box."

"I don’t see it." Nick frowned.

Ty went completely still which set all of Nick’s alarms on high. “Fuck.”

"Ty?"

"I saw a guy as we were heading over here. A little older than us."

Nick frowned. “The yard is full of guys.”

"Thanks, genius. No, this dude was watching us. I thought maybe he was another worker but he had a backpack and…" Ty trailed off then bolted out the door, long legs eating up the ground.

"Goddammit," Deuce muttered and took off with Nick close behind. Kelly materialized out of nowhere, not asking anything.

They wound back through the yard, Ty giving the mud pit a wide berth. Ty jumped and pushed off a crate with one foot, seeming to run up the face of the wall before vaulting over it. On the other side, Ty took off again, a hard look on his face and his lips pulled down into a deep frown. Nick followed, trusting that Ty knew where he was going. The guy had a weird sense about tracking. For seven years now, Nick had watched Ty track the craziest shit through the most insane of places and never fail. It’s like he was born with it.

Ty skidded to a stop in front of a brick building that had seen better days. It was three stories with a docking platform for smaller ships and skiffs on the roof. A line of motorbikes crowded the front walk. Gas lanterns on all corners of the building and on either side of the scarred wooden doors flickered brightly in the fading sunset. Muted music drifted out from the cracks in the windows and the broken seal of the door.

"In there?" Nick slid his hand onto Ty’s shoulder.

Ty frowned as he eyed the motorbikes. “Yeah.”

"Okay, let’s go." Kelly jogged up the steps two at a time.

"Wait, what’s the plan here?" Deuce folded his arms and raised his eyebrows, looking every bit the part of a dad keeping his kids in line. Ty, at least, had the good sense to look sheepish for a second.

"The guy was at the docks and he had a bag. He’s in his twenties I think. Dark hair, kinda curly, tanned, really dark eyes." Ty’s eyes darted around, his expression saying a hell of a lot more than his words. He cleared his throat. "Tall."

"Tall," Deuce repeated flatly.

Ty nodded, his eyes wide and serious.

"And you think he took the case?"

Another nod.

Deuce sighed, the sound odd coming from a machine that technically didn’t need to breathe. “Okay, let’s go find your new boyfriend.”

Ty made a choking sound but didn’t answer and followed Deuce up the steps. Nick frowned and followed slowly. He reached the top of the stairs and caught an odd look flash across Kelly’s face. “What?”

Kelly shook his head, his impish grin reclaiming its spot. “Not a thing.”

"Get inside, monkey." Nick shoved him lightly on the shoulder. Kelly cackled and did a little skipping hop through the door.

The inside was dim enough to remain inconspicuous but well-lit enough to be somewhere on the nicer side of a shady establishment. Mercs and pirates dotted the room, boots on tables, hats perched at an angle. Nick counted more eye patches, leather masks, automaton appendages, and clockwork shoulder pets than he’d ever seen in one place. A little thrill ran through him. As if he felt it too, Ty turned to Nick and grinned, a gleam in his eyes.

"I want to get my lip pierced," Kelly said suddenly. He’d pushed his glasses onto his head and was staring at a guy easily three times his size with metal studs lining most of his face and both ears. Kelly’s crazy blue-green eyes nearly glowed in the dim light.

"The guy has eighty-seven piercings and that’s the one you picked out?" Nick asked, trying not to stare at Kelly’s odd eyes.

Kelly shrugged. “I like it. Maybe my nose, too. Oh! What about my eyebrow?”

"Sure, let me find a bottle of alcohol and a needle and poke you full of holes." Nick watched Ty as he examined the room.

"I don’t think I want you poking me," Kelly said with a frown.

Nick snorted. “You say that now.”

Ty spun around to face them, a pleasant expression on his face. “Corner. Guy smoking. That’s him.”

They made their way to the bar and Nick stole a glance in the direction Ty’d indicated. Smoke curled around a strong jaw and dark features. He looked maybe in his mid-twenties and a tight-fitted black shirt betrayed broad shoulders but long lines everywhere else. His dark hair curled around his ears and under his jaw. Long fingers pinched a hand-rolled cigarette, and an eye patch with a magnifier covered one eye. He reclined in his chair, heavy black boots crossed at the ankle on the table in front of him. As Nick watched, a few girls sporting various states of dress approached him and left fairly quickly.

Interesting.

"Where’s the bag?"

"Under his chair in the shadows," Kelly said. He snagged a chair at an empty table and flipped it around backwards, straddling it and resting his sharp elbows on the back. Ty sat next to him, his back to the guy in the corner. Nick headed to the bar with Deuce and helped him bring back drinks for everyone. Nice thing about merc bars—no one really gave a shit about your age. As long as you didn’t attract any law or die on their premises, no one really gave you a second glance.

"Are you sure he has the box?" Deuce asked as he tilted his head at his beer.

Ty nodded. “Positive.”

"Did Burns send two teams to get it?" Kelly frowned at something on his hand and wiped his palm across his chest.

Nick chewed the inside of his cheek. “That doesn’t make sense.”

"Unless he’s running a test," Ty suggested. "Team that gets it gets the prize."

"What prize?" Deuce arched an eyebrow.

Ty shrugged.

Nick rubbed a palm over his cheek. He’d been against working for Burns from the start but he couldn’t abandon his boys. Ty had it in his head the Burns was the stepping stone they needed to become their own merc crew. It was a crazy plan at best. Utterly insane and would end up in their fiery deaths was closer to the truth.

"We need a diversion," Ty said quietly into his glass.

They were silent. Nick looked out the window as he thought.

"Oh! Oh!" Kelly sat up straight. He glanced at Nick, the beginnings of a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "Ty, head toward the restrooms. Deuce, to the bar to get more drinks. When the diversion happens, get the bag from Tall, Dark, and Creepy there in the corner."

"What’s the diversion?" Ty asked dubiously.

Kelly was still staring at Nick. “You’ll know when it happens.” Nick frowned, a weird crawly feeling settling in his gut.

Ty huffed but didn’t argue as he pushed away from the table. “Probably just going to start a fight.” He pointed a long finger at Nick. “He’s scrappy so watch it.”

Deuce laughed as he walked away. As Ty headed off in the opposite direction, Nick opened his mouth to ask Kelly what the idea was but his voice caught in his throat as Kelly moved from his chair to straddling Nick’s lap, his long arms winding around Nick’s neck, and mashing their lips together.

Nick utterly froze.

He gripped the table on either side of Kelly so hard his fingers ached. Kelly’s thighs squeezed his hips as he wrapped his legs around Nick and the chair. He pulled away enough to murmur, “You might want to act like you like this, Nicky.”

"Kels…what are you doing?"

"Diversion." Kelly tilted his head the other direction and kissed him again, one hand furrowing into Nick’s hair.

Right. _Diversion_. Nothing more.

He heard whistles and hollers and claps.

"Everyone’s watching," Nick whispered as he tentatively put his hands on Kelly’s back and slid one up, tracing the faint bumps of his spine, to rest between his shoulder blades.

"That would be the goal." Kelly smiled against his mouth and tightened his hold, kissing Nick so hard that his brain completely checked out and his eyes fluttered shut. The bar disappeared. Ty and Deuce disappeared. The end goal disappeared. The strange guy in the corner disappeared. All that existed was Kelly in his lap. Kelly’s wiry arms around his neck. Kelly kissing the everloving shit out of him. It was a little sloppy, a little messy, a little inexpert. But it was _Kelly_ and Nick didn’t care about finesse or experience at this point. He had no idea which god was smiling down on him right now but he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

Even if it was all faked from Kelly’s end.

His fingers curled into Kelly’s skin through the thin fabric of his tank. He nipped at Kelly’s lips, dragging his teeth across the lower one. A noise that sounded something between a growl and a whimper rose out of Kelly’s throat and his entire body tightened around Nick like a goddamn vice. One hand slid up to the back of Kelly’s neck, curling around the warm skin. He exhaled heavily, trying to keep his body under control but there was no way in hell he could hide his erection. Especially not with Kelly wrapped around him and moving his hips like that. Fuck.

 _Diversion_. Right.

Dammit.

As if Kelly read his mind, he pulled away. His chest hitched with each panting breath, his eyes wide and shining. “Well, shit,” he whispered.

Before Nick could get enough blood back to his brain to respond, Kelly sat back, his lazy grin smoothed over his kiss-swollen lips. Nick stared, imprinting that image in his mind forever because it would probably never happen again. Kelly glanced over Nick’s shoulder and winked at someone. He waggled his eyebrows at Nick and climbed off his lap, his fingers brushing across Nick’s chest as he did. He bit his bottom lip and jerked his head to the door.

Nick managed to swallow the sigh and twist his face into an easy smile. _Diversion_. He grabbed Kelly’s hand and pulled him through the crowd as if they were in a hurry to find somewhere private. Fuck, how he wished that were true.

As they neared the door, a old woman put a hand on Nick’s arm and beamed up at him. “Seeing two beautiful people in love is such a precious thing.”

Nick slid an arm around Kelly’s shoulder and pulled him close, his smile starting to hurt his cheeks. “He’s my world.”

Kelly wrapped his arm around Nick’s waist and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. He hummed happily against Nick’s skin and it was all Nick could do to stay relaxed.

The woman’s smile grew wider, if that was even possible. She held up a small red pendant and pressed it into Nick’s hand. “For the both of you. For luck.”

"Oh I can’t—"

"You can and you will, young man. Now, don’t let me hold you two up any longer. He looks anxious." She giggled like a teenager at Kelly’s nuzzling and subtle tugging on Nick toward the door.

"Yes, ma’am." Nick swallowed hard. "Thank you, ma’am."

Kelly murmured what sounded like a thank you as he slid his glasses back down and pulled Nick out of the bar. They walked down the block, arms wrapped around each other, until they turned the corner and Nick broke away. His heart pounded and blood sang in his ears. He rounded on Kelly. “What the hell?”

Kelly’s smile was gone. In its place was wide eyes, hands in pockets, and a flinch at Nick’s outburst. Nick immediately felt guilty. “Kels…”

"Nah, I get it. I should have warned you. But it worked, right? I mean…I’m sorry. I know you probably don’t…I was just trying to think of something that would get everyone’s attention and a bar fight doesn’t always do it, you know? And I figured what the hell, why not, because I’ve seen…" He blew out a breath and snapped his mouth shut.

Nick stiffened. “You’ve seen what?”

Kelly looked everywhere but Nick.

"Kelly."

Kelly drew a line in the dirt with his toe. “I’ve seen how you look at Ty when you think no one’s watching.”

His insides deflated. So Kelly knew and figured Nick wouldn’t freak out at his crazy plan. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

Kelly’s head snapped up. “Oh, yeah, sure. I mean, I’ll never bring it up again. I just…yeah…”

Nick mentally fought for a handhold, something to right his footing on this bizarre turn of events. “You just what?” he managed hoarsely.

Kelly gave him a lazy shrug and a soft smile. “It was a good kiss.” He backed away a few steps then turned and walked off.

Nick watched him go, frozen in place. Pain shot through his hand and he looked down, realizing he’d been clenching his fists so hard, the pendant bit into the skin. He held it closer.

It was a hand-molded red heart with copper wiring stitching the whole thing together. Two tiny gears attached to either side framed the holes for the black cord threaded through it so it could be worn around the neck. He closed his eyes for a long moment then looked up, barely picking out Kelly’s retreating back in the crowd. He slipped the necklace over his head and hid the pendant under his shirt.

"Yeah, Kels. It was a good kiss."

~*~

"Earth to Nick." Zane snapped his fingers in front of Nick’s face. The man’s eyes were unfocused and far away as he stared over the railing at the water.

"What?" Nick blinked and raised his eyebrows.

"Where the hell did you go?"

A private smile ghosted over Nick’s lips. “You remember that Ming vase job?”

Zane chuckled. “Yeah I do. I stole it first and you guys thought a make-out session in the middle of a bar would be distracting enough for a teenager to steal it back.”

In spite of the years and adventure and brotherhood that’d separated them from that moment, a blush still crept up Nick’s neck. “Kelly’s idea.”

He shrugged as they moved down the main bridge connecting two of the larger sections of the upper decks. “It almost worked. Ty made it out the door with my backpack before I noticed. I caught him three blocks later.”

Nick laughed. “Almost beat the shit out of him, too.”

"Would have if Deuce hadn’t been there. Thought it was pretty impressive a gang of idiot kids got their hands on an Auggie."

"He came in handy," Nick agreed.

"Where were you and Kelly? I never saw you guys again that day."

Nick waved a hand and opened the first door—a storage room. “Stupid shit.”

"Ah." Zane let it drop. "What made you think of that?"

Nick shrugged. “Random shit flies in and out of my brain sometimes.”

He chuckled. “No wonder you and Ty get along so well.”

They poked through the small room and moved systematically down the walk. At Nick and Kelly’s cabin, they paused. Zane sighed. “We have to.”

"I know." Nick opened the door and made a grand gesture for Zane to enter. Zane laughed and patted Nick’s chest as he brushed past.

"Wow."

"Kelly’s messy." Nick kicked some clothes to the side with his foot. "And a bit of a pack rat." He waved a hand at the random knick-knacks strewn across every flat surface of their room.

"This would drive Ty up the wall." Zane spun in a slow circle, taking in the partially shoved-in drawers, clothes draped across the foot of the bed, bed unmade (if it was ever made in the first place).

Nick laughed. “Which is why he’s never allowed in our cabin. His head would explode.”

Zane hummed in agreement and they started a quick search. Nick and Kelly had commandeered three rooms on the upper level and knocked out the walls between them, creating a huge open space. One side was their bedroom with a large bed tucked into the corner and a side table covered with books, spare parts, and a large clock with exposed gears. A little robot man stood behind the clock and held a wire sculpture of the globe like Atlas. Kelly had stolen it for Nick some years back.

A table for Nick sat in another corner, its scarred and beaten surface covered in cogs, springs, compressors, and bolts. Various boxes and crates were stacked against another wall. The walls themselves were covered in bolts of cloth and crazy rope lights that Kelly had stolen from a club a few years back. It was cozy. It was completely them.

"Empty." Zane started toward the door when a flash of gold caught his attention. Why this one caught his attention among the myriad of shiny objects in the room, he’d never know. "What’s this?" He picked up the small, golden orb sitting on the side table.

Nick frowned at it then snapped his fingers. “Right. Kelly lifted it from someone in a bar not too long ago.”

"When?" A sliver of worry started to creep through Zane’s chest.

He thought for a moment. “When we were in New Shanghai. Why?”

"You don’t recognize this?" Zane blinked at him. Nick should have known immediately what it was given his intense obsession with gadgets.

Nick shook his head. “I didn’t get that long to look at it and then I forgot in everything else that happened.”

Zane clenched his teeth. “But you knew it was up there the whole time?”

"Garrett? Mind explaining first before you jump down my throat?" Nick folded his arms.

Zane unclipped his mask and rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s a tracker.”

Nick stilled. “I’m sorry?”

"A tracker. And, judging from all the shit that’s gone down since New Shanghai, this would be how everyone knows where we are." Zane hated asking the next question but he had to. "Are you sure Kelly stole it?"

Nick straightened. “What are you asking me, Zane?”

"I mean, are you sure he took it? Did someone give it to him or slip it into his pocket?" Zane’s mind ran through scenario after scenario that didn’t involve Kelly purposefully bringing a tracker on board their ship.

"Or did he bring it here on purpose?" Nick tilted his head to one side. "Is that it?"

"No, Nick. I don’t think Kelly would do that."

"You don’t _think_? How about he wouldn’t. I know him. He wouldn’t fucking betray us like that. Have you considered that maybe it’s just a tracker and whatever stowaway we have might have their own and that’s what’s bringing everyone and their dog to our front door?”

"Of course." Zane held up a hand. "Hey hey hey. Not attacking Kelly. He’s my guy, too."

Nick nodded, a muscle on his jaw jumping.

"But," Zane sighed. "I need to ask him."

"Let me do it."

Zane shook his head. He hated this. Hated any sort of doubt in his crew. But after Eli getting attacked, this tracker, Kelly and Ty getting grabbed, Smith and Wesson finding them…there were too many coincidences for his comfort. “I’m his captain. I have to.”

"I want to be there." Nick’s voice grew hard.

Zane looked at the ceiling. “Okay, but you stay quiet. Just let me talk to him.”

Nick looked like he wanted to spit or curse or both but he nodded and pushed past Zane out of the cabin.

~*~

"You guys find anything?" Ty asked as Nick and Zane met up with them on the main deck. Zane’s eyes were narrowed and Nick was looking everywhere but Zane.

Uh-oh. Trouble in pirate land.

"Nope," Nick said as he moved away from Ty and Zane and over to Kelly, who was standing on a stack of crates, his bare toes curled over the edge.

Ty frowned and glanced at Zane, who shook his head slightly. Okay. Whatever it was, he’d deal with it later. “Right. No one found anything or anyone. Need someone to swim under the ship and look for—”

The excited whoop cut Ty off as Kelly took a running leap off the deck and dove into the water.

Ty snorted. “Well, I guess we have a volunteer.” He glanced at Nick.

Nick shrugged, a broad smile on his face. “His enthusiasm is sexy.” He leaned against the railing and peered down, watching the water carefully.

Ty grabbed Zane’s arm and pulled him away from the group. “What’s up?”

Zane dug a small golden orb from his pocket. “We’re being tracked.”

"Thought you said you didn’t find anything."

"It was in Nick and Kelly’s cabin."

Ty blinked at him. “Meaning…”

"Kelly told Nick he stole it the night we were in New Shanghai." Zane glanced at Nick and back to Ty.

"And…what…you don’t believe him?" Ty frowned and pinched the orb from Zane’s palm. He stared at it, examining the little carvings and swirls in the metal. "Kelly’s a squirrel, Zane. He likes shiny objects."

"I know." Zane rubbed the back of his neck.

Ty watched him, taking in the out of character fidgeting. “Oh, let me guess, you acted like this when you found it and Nick thinks you suspect Kelly of being a traitor.”

"Pretty much."

"Good job, darlin’," Ty drawled. "Way to attack the one thing he’s the most protective of."

"I didn’t attack him." Zane leveled a glare at Ty.

Ty rolled his eyes. “Shoe, other foot. Me in Kelly’s place.”

Zane was quiet for a moment. “Shit.”

"Yep." Ty handed the orb back. "What’s the plan?"

"Talking to Kelly with Nick present."

Ty nodded. “All right. We’ll do it after Kelly comes back on board. Stay away from Nick. You probably have him circling his nest now.” He patted Zane’s hip as he walked away. He joined Nick against the railing and cautiously peered at the water lapping the side of the ship. “Yeah, no.”

"I should throw you in," Nick said easily. "It’s what, Tuesday? Your bath day."

"Exposed wiring." Ty gestured to his shoulder. "You could kill me."

"Those are dead," Nick answered without missing a beat. "Power source is in the new arm."

"Which is where?"

"In pieces in my shop."

"Good place for it."

"I thought so."

Kelly’s head burst from the water. He was grinning like a maniac. “There are metal fish down here that swim! They have a propeller thingy and huge teeth! I’m trying to get one for you!” He dove back under.

"Your boyfriend’s an idiot," Digger said with a laugh.

"Good thing he’s mine and not yours then." Nick smirked. "Fucking dolphin."

"He’s not even checking the underside of the ship, is he?" Ty tried not to laugh at Kelly’s antics. It was damn near impossible to stay serious whenever Kelly was in a playful mood.

"He will. He listens to everything even if it doesn’t seem like it." Nick pressed his lips together. The silence stretched between them. "He didn’t bring that tracker on board on purpose."

Ty kept looking at the water. “I know.”

"If he said he stole it, then I believe him."

"Me too. But we still gotta ask him, all right?"

Nick blew out a breath. “Yeah.”

Kelly popped out of the water and held up some sort of bronze contraption. “Got one!”

Ty shook his head. “Let me know when he hits puberty, okay?”

Nick laughed. “Shut up.”

Kelly climbed the rope ladder dangling off the side of the ship and jumped over the railing, landing with a huge smile on his face. He presented his mechanical fish to Nick like an excited child, pointing out the gears and propeller and enormous metal teeth. He bounced on the balls of his feet, water streaming down him and puddling on the deck. Nick flipped the fish over and over, examining it with a smile but mostly watching Kelly.

"It’s fantastic, Kels."

Kelly beamed. He looked at Ty. “Oh, we’re about to have company.”

Ty arched an eyebrow. “Company?”

He pointed over the opposite side of the ship. “Sub. That direction.”

"Friendly?"

Kelly shrugged. Ty glanced over at Zane, who had already put his mask back on and slung his magnifying patch over his eye. He was already moving to the other side of the ship to see what was coming. “Nick, I really _really_ wish I had another arm.”

"Tonight. Swear it," Nick said as he followed Ty to the other railing.

"Digger, Owen, guns up on the cabin. Keep them locked and loaded no matter who comes up," Ty barked. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He was still down a limb, in a ridiculous pirate hat, and missing his duster. His ship was grounded…or _watered_ as the case may be. He might have a stowaway or, terrifyingly worse, a spy. And he knew of precisely three merc crews that preferred submarines.

He didn’t want to talk to any of them.

Ty reached the railing and stood next to Zane. “What do you see?”

"Sub, but I can’t make out the markings," Zane murmured.

"How big?"

"Big."

"Oh, goddammit…" Ty thudded his forehead on Zane’s shoulder. "Please tell me it’s not her."

Zane made an angry noise. “If it is, I’m shooting her.”

"No, no you’re not. That would be worse." Ty sighed and stared as the dark shape in the water grew bigger and bigger.

The water pushed upward, creating a smooth hill of blue and white before it broke away, revealing the sleek, dark metal of a submarine. The displaced water pushed against Sidewinder. Ty groaned as the markings on the hull became visible. Someone behind him cursed loudly and really creatively.

He’d have to remember that one.

The submarine came to a stop, floating quietly and doing its best to dwarf the pirate ship. After several long moments of nothing but waves and far off birds, the hatch on the top hissed and slid open with a faint squeak and a clunk. Ty forced a smile at the woman who climbed out, her black hair blowing in the light breeze.

"Hello, Ava."


	10. The Armada

Ty rubbed his temple, really loving how a massive headache picked this exact moment to tattoo its beat on the inside of his skull. Next to him, Zane was positively vibrating, his arms folded. Probably so he didn’t grab his gun. Ty glanced over his shoulder at Nick and subtly jerked his chin in Zane’s direction. Nick’s gaze darted to Zane. He patted Kelly on the shoulder before moving to stand on the other side of Zane.

Hopefully, between the two of them, they could keep Zane from shooting Ava. As much as there was bad blood between the captains of Sidewinder and the captain of La Fée Verte, with everything else they were dealing with, Ty did not want to add a pissed off merc crew to the list.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Ty called, resting his elbow on the railing.

Ava looked him over with a smirk. “Lost a little weight, Tyler?”

"Nah, I figured two arms were too much of an advantage over my enemies." Mentally, he cursed Nick up and down for not having his arm ready.

A delicately sculpted eyebrow arched upward. “We heard of a crash-down. Came to investigate.”

"You mean came to loot." Ty smiled. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Actually, I disagree." She tilted her head to one side.

"Oh?" Ty leaned forward. "Do tell."

Her dark eyes narrowed. “Let us on board and we’ll talk.”

"Us?" Ty laughed. "Yeah, no."

"Me and two of my men for protection from your guard dog there." Her gaze flickered to Zane and back to Ty.

Zane actually growled.

"Down, boy," Ty murmured. He looked over at Nick and arched an eyebrow. Nick checked his gun and nodded. Ty made a frustrated noise and pasted on a smile for Ava. "Fine. You and two others." He pointed at her. "But not Tank."

"Afraid he’ll give you another concussion?" She turned back to the hatch.

Ty turned away from the railing and cracked his neck.

"Please let me shoot her," Zane asked.

Ty rubbed his face and glared at Nick. “Arm, now. Right the fuck now.”

Nick nodded and jogged away without argument. Kelly pointed one finger at Ava and the other thumb after Nick with questioning eyebrows. Ty waved a hand. “I don’t care.”

"I’m going to…go…dry off. And check on Eli." Kelly backed away a few steps as if someone was going to stop him then spun and followed Nick.

"Digger!" Ty stalked across the deck. He motioned down to himself when Digger appeared at the cabin roof railing. He met the man at the foot of the stairs. "I want you in the main cabin when we talk to them, and I want you prepared for anything."

"Anything?" Digger’s slow smile made Ty extraordinarily glad the man was on his crew.

"Just don’t sink the ship." Ty clapped him on the arm and craned his neck up. "Owen!"

"Yeah!"

"Engines."

"On it." Owen jumped over the railing, landing with a heavy thump on the main deck, and headed toward the rear of the ship.

Ty blew out a breath, trying to find some semblance of calm he could hold onto before the incoming storm. Of all the goddamn crews to find their ship right after a crash. He’d pissed off karma somewhere. Pain pulsed across his temple and spiderwebbed across his scalp to the back of his neck. He took a few calming breaths, rolled his shoulders, and turned around.

He turned right as a familiar dark head of hair popped over the edge of the railing, followed by an impish smile and long body encased in low-riding leather pants and various tattoos. Ty smiled at the only member of Ava’s crew he liked. “Ash! Still hanging around these assholes?”

Ash vaulted the railing and wrapped Ty up in a hug, laughter shaking his body. “Ty! You’re still in one piece.” He grimaced at Ty’s shoulder. “Mostly.”

"Shut up," Ty grumbled.

Ash grinned, the top bead of a purple tongue stud running along his lower lip.

"Purple, huh?"

"Matches my shirt." Ash gestured to the dark purple shirt haphazardly buttoned over his lithe frame.

"You and Kelly share the same poor buttoning skills. When are you joining my crew?"

"Do you pay them yet?"

"You don’t get paid with Ava," Ty said, a little more than half-serious. He’d been trying for years to get Ash Lucroix on board Sidewinder. The guy was a born diversion and sneak thief. Ty would know. Ash had stolen countless things from him over the years, including more than a few nights before Ty met Zane.

Ash shrugged one shoulder lazily. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

Ty shook his head and turned to the other man who’d just climbed over the railing. “Preston.”

"Beaumont," came the clipped response and the barely there head nod.

Ava came last, accepting the hand Preston gave her. Ty frowned, still not understanding women’s fashion these days. She wore some sort of striped pants that clung to her legs like second skin. Over those were several short, chopped up layers of skirts, which he didn’t see the point of. Her torso was bound in a leather corset that Ty would bet half his ship was lined with metal. Her undershirt was sleeveless, showing off the scrolling tattoos on her arms, which were encased in fingerless leather and lace gloves that reached to her elbows.

"Are you done staring?" She brushed her hair back over one shoulder.

"Is your skirt supposed to be like that or did it get caught in something?"

A muffled cough from behind him sounded like Ash trying to unsuccessfully hide a laugh.

Ava glared at him then threw Zane a tight smile. “Zane.”

"Ava." His arms were still folded and his face was a mask of cold calm.

"Cabin’s this way." Ty gestured with a sweep of his arm before the tension grew any thicker. Inside the main cabin, he nodded at Digger, who  leaned against a wall with a shotgun slung over his broad shoulders. Knives were strapped to his thighs and Ty would bet the other half of his ship that various small explosives decorated his person.

"Digger!" Ash grinned broadly. "Still hanging out with these assholes?" He winked at Ty.

Digger laughed and shook Ash’s hand. “Someone has to take care of these bastards.”

"And they let you blow things up." Ash flopped onto the couch, his long legs crossing at the ankles.

Digger pointed at him and grinned.

"Napping on my couch?" Ty sat at the table in the head chair.

Ash shrugged and closed his eyes. “I’m just here as eye candy.”

Zane made a low noise in the back of his throat as he sat next to Ty. Ty threw him a playful smile. Zane’s flares of jealousy were endearing. They’d been together so long that neither had anything to fear from ex lovers, but they enjoyed watching each other bristle whenever the past waltzed into the room.

Ava and Preston sat on the opposite side of the table. Ty mashed his hat lower on his head and leaned back in his chair. “Okay, you’re on board. Talk.”

"Why the hostility, Tyler?" Ava folded her hands on the table.

Ty snorted a laugh. “Because last time I saw you, you threw a knife at me.”

"You tried to steal my ship."

"Oh no, no, no. Not _tried. Did._ ”

She rolled her eyes. “For twenty-four hours. I got it back the next day.”

"Nope, you stole _my_ brand new ship the next day. _And_ threw a knife at me.”

"Too bad I missed." Her face hardened.

"No, sweetheart, you hit me. I still have the scar." Ty laid a hand over his abdomen where a two inch raised line decorated the tanned skin.

She smirked. “Good.”

"You’re lucky you didn’t kill him," Zane growled.

"Oh?" Ava tilted her head. "Because you’d shoot me?"

His eyes narrowed, cold and glittering. Ty laid a hand on his forearm and squeezed. Ash opened his eyes and watched the exchange with mild interest. Digger rested a hand on one of his knives. Preston hadn’t moved but Ty knew the man was calculating every possible scenario that incapacitated Ty and his men.

"Let’s just say, for the sake of argument," Ty said in a low, smooth voice. "That I can only keep him from lashing out at you for so long. And if you continue to poke the bear then I’m not responsible for the bloodshed. Wouldn’t want to rip your pretty skirts…more. Now," he leaned forward and rested his elbow on the table. "Talk."

"How many of your men have been attacked recently? Either on or off the ship?" Her face and tone morphed to all business.

Ty exchanged a look with Zane. “Why?”

"At least seven merc crews have been attacked. Three others have been wiped out entirely."

Ty frowned. “And? It’s the life. We’re attacked all the time.”

"Every crew was contacted by the Baron to go on a job. Within a week of taking the job, the attacks happened."

"What kind?"

She examined her fingernails. “Kidnappings. Onboard murders.”

Ty’s gut twisted. “You get hit?”

Her ice queen bravado cracked around the edges. “We lost Alston. Kidnapped. Found his body four days later. He’d been chained up and drowned.”

Ty’s stomach tumbled to the floor. _There but for the grace of god_ _…and a pissed off as hell boyfriend._

Ava frowned at him. “You were hit?”

He managed a nod. “Kelly and I were taken not too long ago. Eli was attacked onboard earlier today.”

"You were taken?" Ash sat up, his boots hitting the ground with a thump.

"With Kelly," Digger added quietly.

"Shit, are you guys okay?" He searched Ty’s face with concerned eyes.

Ty cleared his throat. “Yeah, I mean some cuts and bruises and…this,” he gestured to his missing arm. “Kelly’s eyes are a little,” another throat clear, “fucked up but he’ll be okay.” Zane’s warm hand slid onto his thigh and squeezed, grounding Ty and pulling him away from the memories of water and chains, of no air and darkness.

Ash’s face paled as Ty spoke. “You guys got out.”

"Boys came. Nick and Zane blew up the Baron’s compound looking for us."

Ava and Preston exchanged looks. “No one’s gotten away before. At least no one we’ve heard of,” Preston said slowly.

"But it was the Baron?" Ava asked.

"It was an automaton likeness of the Baron in his compound," Zane said when Ty had trouble finding his voice again. "Whether or not the Baron is behind it or even still alive, we don’t know."

The room filled with silence until Ty found it hard to breathe.

"What are the jobs?" Zane asked.

Ava licked her lips, debating her answer.

"Ava."

"The bomb parts."

Ty’s headache doubled in strength. What kind of fucked up mess had he thrown his crew into? Guilt crawled around his insides and sent waves of shivers up his arm and down his spine.

Ava leaned forward. “We’re under attack, Ty. All the mercs. Every ship.”

"What do you want me to do about it? I have to take care of my men." Ty rubbed his forehead. The headache crawled behind his eyes and down one side of his face. One knee bounced erratically under the table.

"Some of us think the attacks might stop if there are more of us together," she said slowly.

Ty froze and stared at her. “Are you shitting me? Work with you?”

"Not just me. Several ships." Ava blew out a hard breath, a line appearing between her brows. She fidgeted with the edges of her gloves. Ty had only seen the woman fidget whenever she was nervous.

Or scared.

"An armada of mercs," Zane said flatly. "That sounds like a fucking disaster waiting to happen. That many bull-headed captains together?"

Another look exchanged between Preston and Ava.

"Fucking cut that out and spill it," Ty growled. He wanted a dark room and, in an ideal world, a naked Zane.

Preston laid a hand over Ava’s and shifted in his chair. “There’s only one merc crew that’s survived more than a decade intact.” His lips twitched in a smile as he glanced from Ty to Zane.

Ty straightened. _No fucking way._ Preston seemed to take a moment to consider what he wanted to say next.

"The other crews want to band together under Sidewinder until we find out who is behind the attacks."

Zane’s eyes grew big. “You want _us_ to lead the mercenaries?”

"Captain an armada?" Ty asked in a choked voice.

"Holy shit," Digger murmured.

Ava pursed her lips. “Look, I’m not wild about the idea either, but…” She chewed on her lower lip and looked out the window. “Someone out there has declared war on our people. And they think they can pick us off one by one.” She turned back to them. “We’re losing good men and women. I don’t want to lose any more.”

Ty looked at Zane, who was watching Preston with a calculating expression. He glanced at Ash and raised his eyebrows. Ash ran both hands through his hair and shot Ty a sad sort of half-smile. “If anyone can lead the mercs, it’s you and Zane.”

Zane placed both hands on the table. “Ty and I need to talk. Then we need to talk with our men. Digger, will you show them back to their ship?”

"On it." Digger straightened and arched an eyebrow at the guests. Ash stood with a grin and straightened his shirt. He gave them a mock salute before sauntering out the door. Ava and Preston stood. She looked like she wanted to say more but Digger cleared his throat loudly and jerked his head to the door.

"Holy fuck," Ty breathed as soon as the door shut. "Did that just seriously happen?"

"Unfortunately," Zane pulled his mask off and rubbed his face.

Ty flipped open the comm box on the wall. “Nick, arm.”

"Almost there," came the crackled response. "I’m going to have to take some shortcuts with your hand but I’ll fix it. It’s the only way to get it to you sooner."

"Yeah, okay." Ty reached over to close the box just as he heard Nick bark at Kelly about feeding his clockwork weasel cookies.

"Her filter is broken, Kels, stop feeding her shit."

"It’s not shit. It’s a cookie."

Ty paused with his hand over the comm. “Kelly?”

"Yo."

"Eli?"

"Still asleep, but good."

Ty closed his eyes as relief coursed through him. “Thanks.” He flipped the comm shut and slouched back in his chair. “Can I take a nap now?”

"Headache?"

"How’d you know?" He pulled his hat down over his eyes to block out the light.

"Ty, I’ve been with you for ten years. I know your tells."

"Not all my tells," Ty mumbled.

"Yes, doll, all your tells." Zane’s voice moved away from the table. "Come here."

Ty pushed up his hat with his thumb and blinked sleepily at Zane standing by the couch. He raised an eyebrow as Zane stretched out and beckoned him over. Ty smiled, exhaustion hitting him with the full force of a mallet. He made his way over the couch and crawled on Zane, collapsing with a soft groan on top of his lover. After some adjusting and positioning of limbs, Ty rested his aching head on Zane’s chest and let his eyes drift shut. “Not all my tells.”

Zane’s laughter rumbled in his chest. “I picked out several of them from moment one.”

Ty grunted but was too tired to articulate any words. His hat disappeared, replaced with Zane’s fingers threading through his hair. The repetitive combing motion did more to ease him than anything else could or ever would. Zane always knew exactly what Ty needed sometimes before Ty even knew.

"Sleep, baby," Zane said softly and kissed the top of Ty’s head. "We’ll talk about everything when you wake up."

Ty hummed and drifted off.

~*~

_2345: Southern Roman Provinces_

Zane leaned against the spray-painted wall, the crumbling stone promising salvation for the damned in faded neon letters. He pulled in a lungful of cigarette smoke, held it for a long moment, then released it in a steady stream as he watched the building across the street. He’d seen them earlier, the three teens and their automaton guardian. In fact, he’d seen them everywhere over the past year. Ever since he’d nearly lost that damn Ming vase to the dark-haired one, he’d run into them on nearly every job since then.

And it was pissing him off.

He didn’t know if they were following him, trying to use him to get the jobs done, or if Burns was fucking with him, but he was going to put an end to it. Today.

Trouble was, there was something about the dark-haired one, Ty, that sparked a curl of interest in Zane’s gut. He figured Ty couldn’t be any older than twenty, with the red-head and the short one with the bright eyes about the same age. The automaton seemed far older than all three of them, but, like the other two, deferred to Ty as their leader. And Zane admired that.

Maybe he’d just threaten them. He didn’t have to resort to killing unless they ignored his threats and continued to dog his footsteps. Maybe they didn’t realize they were infringing on his territory.

The door across the street opened and the four of them came spilling out. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and crushed it under the heavy sole of his boot. He waited until they started down the block before he followed. He made mental notes as they wove through the crowd. The bright-eyed one was a pickpocket and a damn good one. Zane barely caught the movements of the guy’s hands but people patted pockets with frowns as they moved past. There was something going on between him and the red-head, or something they were dancing around, based on the occasional touch or fond look followed by a wall slamming up between them when it got too overt.

Zane rolled his eyes. Life was too short. Especially one of a merc. He didn’t expect to live to thirty, so why not grab what you wanted and damn the consequences.

Ty and the automaton walked ahead of the other two, singing some old dockside pirate song. Zane caught notes here and there, his interest growing deeper at the beautiful sound of Ty’s singing voice.

Dammit. Now he really couldn’t kill the guy.

The group paused and Ty pointed upward, a huge smile on his handsome face. After a moment’s admiration, Zane followed the motion. The sleek underbellies of airships passed overhead, the downdrafts from their engines buffeting him with warm air. Fuck, he wanted on one of those so bad it was a physical ache in his chest. Maybe one day he could buy his way onto a crew. Or, in his wildest fantasy, he was invited into one because of his skills.

If he became really desperate, he could play his trump card. But that meant revisiting a decade-old past he was content to leave buried.

When he looked down, the group was gone except for Ty who stood in the middle of the crowd staring at him, a slight smirk curling the side of his mouth.

Fucking hell.

Ty’s hazel eyes narrowed then he quirked an eyebrow and sauntered down a side street. After an internal battle, Zane growled a curse and followed. The crowd thinned to virtually nonexistent down the narrow cobbled street. Zane rounded a corner and pulled up short at the long and trim body leaned against a wall. Ty propped one booted foot against the stone and lit a thin cigarette, blowing blue-tinged smoke out of his nose as he glanced at Zane. Zane leaned a shoulder against the wall, leaving his dominant side free in case something happened. He frowned and looked up the street.

"We’re alone. I told them to go ahead." Ty flicked ashes to the ground and let his head fall back against the stone. He dug in his pocket and held up another cigarette with a questioning look.

Zane nodded and watched with interest as Ty stuck the new one between his full lips and lit it with his own. He took a deep pull and handed it to Zane with a half-grin. “So. Why are you following me and my boys?”

Zane kept his reactions on the inside and waited until he had smoked for a bit before answering. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

"Before or after you jumped us?"

Zane smirked. “Your boys comfortable with leaving you alone with me?”

"Not really but I told them to go anyway." Ty brushed his hair back from his face. The darkening afternoon sun lit up the gold in his eyes. "Why are you following us?"

"You keep showing up on my jobs," Zane answered evenly.

Ty snorted. “Reverse that. Nick’s fucking pissed that you keep showing up on _our_ jobs.”

"He the redhead?"

Ty nodded. “The little one pretending to not be his boyfriend is Kelly. The tin can, who you met already,” he grinned, “is Deuce. I’m Ty.”

"Zane." He rubbed his jaw where Deuce had hit him a year ago when he tried to get the vase back from Ty. "Deuce packs a hell of a punch. That’s how I knew he was synthetic."

"Did he break your jaw?"

Zane shook his head. Ty grunted. “Pity.”

They finished their cigarettes, grinding them out on the dark cobbles. Ty unpeeled himself from the wall and cracked his neck. “All right, ready?”

Zane frowned. “For?”

Ty cracked his knuckles. “Well, you were planning on jumping us anyway. I’m saving you a trip and making it more of a fair fight. Winner gets the jobs. Loser has to vacate the premises.”

"Oh really." Zane chuckled. The guy had spunk, he’d give him that. He watched the lean muscle bunch and stretch along Ty’s bare forearms.

"Come on, old man." Ty backed away a few steps.

"Old man? I’m twenty-six."

Ty waved a hand dismissively. “I’m eighteen. Anyone over twenty is old.”

"Remind me to ask you how that attitude’s going in three years."

"You say that as if we’ll be talking in three years."

Zane shrugged, still leaning against the wall. He hated to admit it, but he liked Ty now that he’d actually spoken to him. Plus, the guy was incredibly good-looking, which didn’t help matters. But he had a mouth on him and a sure-footed cockiness that was going to get him into trouble. Zane was torn between wanting to maul him to teach him a lesson and wanting to maul him for other completely inappropriate reasons.

Dilemma.

He watched Ty move, loose and easy. “You don’t ever stop fidgeting, do you?”

"Not really. Why are you stalling?"

"Not stalling. I never agreed to a fight."

"You were going to jump us."

Zane hummed as two of his knives popped into his hands from their spring-loaded cuffs. “Yes, I was.”

Ty lifted his chin. “You were going to kill us?”

"Hadn’t decided," Zane admitted honestly.

"Huh." Ty rubbed his fingers over his mouth and nodded. "Right." He ducked and rushed at Zane, driving his shoulder into Zane’s gut before he could react.

Zane brought his elbow down hard on the top of Ty’s spinal column. Ty’s grip loosened enough for him to pull out of it, bringing his knee up into Ty’s face as he did. Ty’s head snapped back, blood dripping from a split lip. His fist connected with Zane’s jaw. Pain exploded in the side of his face. He growled and swiped out with one of his knives. Ty caught his hand and twisted hard, applying pressure at the base of his palm under his thumb. Zane’s fingers spasmed and the knife clattered to the ground. Zane lashed out with the other one, the tip drawing a bright red line across Ty’s cheek. Ty’s eyes went wide as if he were offended and he kicked out, catching Zane in the side of the knee. Zane collapsed and Ty moved in with a punch to his temple.

"The robot," Ty said between breaths. "Was trained in all sorts of fighting styles."

"That’s fascinating. Please tell me more." Zane swept his leg across the ground, taking Ty’s feet out from under him. He landed hard on his back, his face twisted in pain. Zane clambered to his feet, his knee throbbing. "Stay down, kid."

"Bite me, old man," Ty growled as he jack-knifed his legs and sprung upward to a stand. His foot kicked out at Zane’s midsection but Zane caught his ankle and twisted. Ty followed the movement and landed on his hands, bringing his other foot up to connect with Zane’s cheekbone. Zane stumbled back into the building. Ty rushed at him and Zane’s hand snapped out, catching Ty around the throat and shoving him across the narrow street until he had him pinned between his own body and the other wall.

Zane froze, his fingers twitching around Ty’s neck, his hips pinning Ty’s to the wall. Ty stared at him defiantly, silently daring him to start squeezing. Their breaths were harsh. The air smelled like sweat and blood. Every inch of Zane’s body pressed to Ty’s was on fire and he did the only thing that would keep him from choking the infuriating son of a bitch.

He kissed him.

Ty’s hands landed on Zane’s chest and pushed. _Hard_. Zane broke away, stumbling back a few steps. He lowered his chin, bracing for the punch that he definitely deserved.

"You fucking asshole." Ty fisted Zane’s shirt and yanked him against himself, his other hand grabbing the back of Zane’s neck and pulling him down for another kiss. This one was just as rough and brutal as the first, more a battle for dominance than anything else. Zane jerked in surprise as Ty’s free hand slid under his shirt, his fingers digging into Zane’s skin. He growled low in his throat and pushed his hips against Ty’s, his hands running up the length of Ty’s arms and down his sides. Ty gasped into Zane’s mouth and ground his groin against Zane’s in return.

"You," Zane managed between kisses. "Are fucking trouble." Ty’s pants were loose enough for Zane to slip his hands down the back to grab Ty’s ass. He bit at Ty’s lower lip and broke away, kissing and biting down his jaw to his neck. An overwhelming urge to mark Ty, to claim him, welled up inside Zane as he clamped down on the juncture of Ty’s neck and shoulder.

"Maybe," Ty hummed, his fingers tightening in Zane’s hair. The thin fabric of their pants was a pitiful barrier as their erections pressed and slid together. With even only this stimulation, Zane wasn’t going to last long. And he was pretty sure, based on the way Ty’s breathing was hitching faster, he was close, too.

He pressed hard against Ty, pulling him tighter to himself, and claimed his mouth again. Ty gave back and hard as he got and took even more, teeth and tongue and lips attacking Zane’s with renewed ferocity. His long body coiled tight, every muscle drawing taut and hard against Zane’s body and he shouted a hoarse cry into Zane’s mouth. When Zane realized Ty was coming, he squeezed his eyes shut and let go.

Labored breathing filled his ears. His lips felt bruised and swollen. He was certain he had bruises in various parts from both Ty’s attacks and his fingers. As the haze cleared, reality came crashing down and Zane pushed away from Ty abruptly, stumbling back to the other wall and sagging against it. Surprised, Ty flailed but stayed on his feet, his eyes wide and wary. Zane’s mouth worked like he wanted to say something but he couldn’t think of anything. Threats came to mind. Endearments followed after. He fought against the urge to go back to Ty, to wrap him up in his arms and be soft with him this time around.

Ty touched his lips and smirked. “Guess your killing me plan didn’t go so well.”

"Guess not," Zane managed. He eyed the faint bruise on Ty’s neck. _Great._

Ty straightened and ran his hands through his hair. His nose had stopped bleeding at some point, as had the cut on his cheek. He watched Zane carefully for a silent moment, his eyes trending to brown with his arousal. “Right.” He glanced down the narrow street and backed away a few steps. “See you around, Zane.”

He was gone before Zane could work up the courage to ask to see him again.

~*~

The knock on the door jerked Ty from his nap. He blinked, trying to orient himself. This was not his bed. Oh, right, he was curled up with Zane on the couch. “Did someone just—”

Another knock.

"Yep," Zane mumbled sleepily, his hand smoothing up Ty’s back. "I was having the best dream, too."

"Oh?" Ty stole a kiss as he pushed himself up. Zane helped him since Ty was still a little off-balance without his other arm.

"Our first kiss." Zane grinned, his eyes liquid brown and full of sleepy satisfaction.

"When we beat the shit out of each other then humped each other against a wall?" Ty snorted and patted Zane’s belly as he stood. "You have some sexy dreams, baby."

Zane grinned, looking sleepy and sedate. All Ty wanted to do was crawl back on top of him and burrow.

Another knock.

"Fuck, I’m coming!" He flung the door open and glared at Nick.

"If you two were having sex in the cabin again…" Nick frowned.

"Ew," Kelly muttered from where he leaned against the wall.

"Not like you two having sex in the crow’s nest was any better." Ty stepped to the side and let them in.

Nick laughed and shrugged as he moved to the table and set down a cloth-wrapped bundle. Kelly meandered inside, looking somewhere between vaguely interested and bored. Nick pointed at a chair. “Sit.”

"There should be a _captain_ there.” Ty sat anyway.

Nick pulled the cloth off one end of a gleaming silver connection. “In your dreams, Ty.”

"Every night," he muttered as Nick sat down and started to line the arm up to Ty’s shoulder connection.

The rest of the cloth fluttered to the floor, revealing the full limb.

"What in the flying fuck is that?" Ty stared in horror at the arm Nick carefully attached to his shoulder.

"It’s an arm, Ty."

"No, asshole, _that._ " Ty pointed to the enormous steel hook at the end of the limb. He looked at Zane, who sat across the table with one hand over his mouth, his dark eyes wide with repressed laughter.

"Oh, that? It’s to go with your hat." Nick batted his eyelashes, a grin crawling across his face.

"Are you kidding me? You’re kidding me." Ty stared at the gleaming hook straight out of a children’s fairy tale. "This is bullshit."

Kelly dissolved into a fit of giggles, his arms wrapped around his middle as he sagged against the wall. “Will you say ‘yar, matey’ just once for me? Please?”

"All of you are in serious trouble if I don’t get a hand now. Right now." He frowned at the hook and turned his glare on Zane.

Zane snorted through his fingers. “You going to make us all walk the plank?”

"Oh my god, you’re a dick," Ty huffed.

"Relax, Blackbeard, you’ll get a hand." Nick flipped open a panel on the bicep and attached a few wires. "I told you I had to take some shortcuts so you could have an arm today. I’m still building it. It’s more intricate. You want to be able to pick stuff up, right?"

"As long as I can flip you off," Ty muttered.

Nick leaned back. “Bend your elbow.”

Ty obeyed. The arm bent smoothly, gears moving with a faint whirring sound.

Nick pressed his lips together and managed a straight face. “Rotate the hook, please.”

"When you least expect it, Irish," Ty promised as he rotated the hook three hundred and sixty degrees both directions.

"Bring it." Nick secured the bicep panel and patted the arm. "I’ll try to get the hand finished in the next few days. I figure this’ll do for now. Just don’t forget and scratch an itch."

Ty lifted the hook and examined it with a resigned look. “I really hate you right now.”

"You love me," Nick responded with a broad smile. Kelly was biting the side of his hand, his body vibrating with laughter.

"Hey, chuckles, go get Digger and Owen," Ty grumbled at him. "And someone find me some fucking food."

"Settle down or your headache will come back." Zane stood and followed Kelly out of the room.

Nick leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his stomach. “So.”

Ty arched an eyebrow.

"How’s Ava?" Nick asked pleasantly.

He snorted. “Zane didn’t shoot her.”

Nick’s eyebrows quirked and he bobbed his head. “Both good and unfortunate.”

"Agreed." Ty examined his new hook. Despite the offending thing, it felt amazing to have a working arm again. This one was lighter and easier to move. Nick was a genius when it came to this shit.

Not that Ty would ever tell him.

Bastard’s ego was already big enough.

"So I’m guessing whatever she wanted to talk to you about is what you need to talk to us about."

He nodded and sighed. “It’s big, O. Maybe too big.”

"Another vote?"

Ty stared at the ceiling. “Not this time. Zane and I already talked it over.”

The door opened before Nick could respond. Kelly, Owen, and Digger filed in followed by Zane holding partial wheel of cheese and a loaf of bread. He set them on the table, pulled out one of his knives, and stabbed the block of cheese. “Dinner, m’lord.”

"Fancy." Ty cut up some slices while everyone got situated.

Once everyone was seated and eating, Ty glanced at Zane and jerked his chin at the room. Zane rolled his eyes and brushed some crumbs off his shirt. “Apparently we aren’t the only merc crew attacked.”

Kelly stiffened, his smile sliding off his face. Nick patted his thigh and frowned. “How many?”

"Seven. Plus three completely wiped out," Zane answered. He proceeded to detail out Ava’s proposal. When he got to the part about Sidewinder leading an armada of mercenaries, he had to pause for the explosions of loud cussing and protesting.

"Well that’s cool," Ty muttered as he layered bread and cheese on his hook like a kabob.

"Ty, focus." Zane threw a piece of cheese at him.

"Everyone shut up," Ty barked.

"Are we really doing this?" Nick asked, his eyes wide. "The mercs aren’t going to just fall in line under this ship. You know that."

"I know that," Zane sighed. "But we’re dead in the water, right?"

Owen nodded.

"Okay, until we get back up, we’re a sitting duck. At the very least, having some bigger guns nearby could be helpful if Warrior’s Cross decides to revisit us."

"This is a really bad idea," Digger muttered. "If all these ships have sneaks, they could band together and attack all of us. More ships together, bigger target."

"We know," Ty said. "Look, it’s a shit situation all around. If we say no, we’ll be outcast from whatever armada does form. And if we’re attacked again," his gaze flickered to Kelly, "we might not be so lucky. If we say yes, we’ll have to deal with every pig-headed stubborn-ass merc captain out there. And, no, you aren’t allowed to shoot them. But," he held up his hand at the chorus of groans. "Zane and I have decided to give you guys authority in the armada. You can speak for us if we aren’t around. If it’s a massive shitstorm, come find us. Otherwise, deal with it as you see fit. We trust you." He eyed them all individually. "Questions? Now’s your chance."

Nick and Kelly exchanged looks. Digger shook his head. Owen examined his fingernails and shook his head.

"Great," Ty let out a pent up breath of relief. Having his crew on board with this insane plan made him feel a tiny bit better. "Sidewinder business."

"Your arm’s done," Nick offered.

"Eli’s stable," Kelly piped up.

"Engines are still broken," Owen said.

"All the guns work," Digger added.

Ty pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thanks, I think. Deuce.”

"What about him?" Kelly asked.

"With the crews being attacked, I’m worried about him. He’s not only our friend but he’s connected to just about every crew out there so he’s probably in danger. We need to get him and bring him on board." Ty bit off a hunk of cheese.

Nick laughed. “He won’t come on the ship.”

Ty shrugged. “Then we’ll kidnap him.”

"Oh lord," Digger rubbed his face.

"I’m going to go get him," Ty said. "Two of you to come with me."

"I need to stay and work on the engines," Owen said, looking somewhat relieved to not be going ashore.

Ty waved his hand. “Okay, two of you. Don’t care who. Decide amongst yourselves. We leave in the morning.”


	11. Out of the Frying Pan

In the 17th and 18th centuries, piracy hit its peak. Great ships battled for territory amongst the roiling waves of the oceans. They attacked merchant vessels shipping out from East India all the way to the Caribbean and up the American Eastern Seaboard. Many of the pirates were forced into the life, left homeless and penniless after various wars plagued their homelands. They called the ocean home, sometimes never seeing land again. Men and even some women took to the life, sealing their fates as outlaws and shaking hands with Davy Jones in a watery grave or at the end of a noose.

But there were a few, those precious few, who _chose_ the life and lived it to the hilt. They were the legends. The Blackbeards, the Pierre Le Grands, and the William Kidds. These men were the terrors of the high seas — taking without remorse, staking claim over their watery domains, and thumbing their noses at the Kings and Queens of dry land.

Digger perched on a railing, watching Ty barking out last minute orders before he left to get Deuce. With his hat and his new hook that he claimed he hated, Ty was a sketch in a history book come to life in full-color glory. He would have been one of the few, Digger believed. Ty would have been a pirate legend—giving even Blackbeard or Captain Kidd a run for their money. This was his element. This ship was his home. You could see it in the way his eyes lit up with something bordering on manic whenever they were on a job. But, he’d kept them alive all these years.

Digger suspected Zane had a lot to do with that. Where Ty was all flash and bang, Zane was more methodical—the dark specter behind Ty’s beacon. A lot of people had underestimated Zane over the years, thinking him the tag-along, the puppy glomping after his much flashier master. That was usually their first and last mistake when it came to Ty’s partner. Zane was just as deadly, if not more so. Digger had seen what both men could do with their bare hands and, honestly, he never wanted to be on either of their dark sides.

"What has you all dark and moody?" Nick slung a bag over his shoulder and leaned against the railing.

Digger shook his head. “Just watching Captain Sir bark at everyone.”

Nick chuckled. “I think it’s his favorite thing.”

Digger laughed. “You’re coming on this crazy expedition, too?”

"Wasn’t about to let Kelly off the ship so soon. His eyes are still pretty fucked. Plus, Eli needs him."

"I’m sure he loves you babying him like that."

"He can suck it," Nick muttered.

"I really don’t want to hear about your love life, man." Digger rifled through his cargo pockets, making sure all his toys and weapons were in their proper places. "What about Ty’s hand?"

Nick patted his bag. He frowned at Ty. “Hey, Blackbeard! Are we going or not?”

Ty pointed his hook at Nick. “That name is banned.”

Nick and Digger laughed and climbed over the railing into the waiting skiff. The small craft could carry up to four comfortably and flew at low altitude. It’d been one of their more useful acquisitions over the years.

"Hey."

Digger busied himself stowing his bag while Kelly leaned over the railing to grab Nick and kiss him goodbye. “We’ll be back soon, Kels.” Nick’s voice took on that low, soothing quality he used often with Kelly.

Kelly frowned, not letting go of Nick’s shirt. “You’d better or I’m getting the biggest gun I can find and coming after your ass.”

Nick grinned. He leaned closer and whispered something into Kelly’s ear that made him tense and bite his bottom lip. Kelly cleared his throat. “Right when you get back?”

"Promise," Nick said.

Digger groaned. “Really? In front of me?”

"We’re just talking." Kelly flipped him off and kissed Nick again before moving away so Ty could climb on board.

Nick pointed at Kelly. “Do not feed Cecily cookies.”

Kelly waved at them as Ty detached the skiff from the boat. “I’ll make sure all my chores are done and not stay up past my bedtime, too.” He stuck his tongue out and tilted his head to the side, then spun away with a huge grin. As they rose into the air, Digger had to laugh at Kelly climbing up the rigging so he could watch them fly away.

Ty swatted Nick on the arm. “Stop mothering him and sit down. He’ll be fine. He’s on the ship with Zane and Owen.”

Nick grumbled but sat and pulled his bag into his lap. Ty stood at the helm, his hat tipped at an angle and his stance square. Digger slid into the seat next to Nick and propped his feet on the open chair across from them both. He watched Nick pull out metal hand and start fiddling with it. He’d been far more protective of Kelly since the rescue, and Digger couldn’t really wrap his head around it. In his opinion, Kelly just needed to heal up. He was definitely capable of handling himself, despite the childlike antics. Digger had seen him in enough fights—both real and sparring matches—to know the guy was as deadly as he was playful. He shook his head and settled back, folding his arms, as the skiff’s two sails fanned out and the engine thrummed under their feet.

"Hey!" Zane leaned over the railing, his mask pulled down and his eyes dark as he stared at Ty. "Don’t get dead."

"Love you too," Ty replied with a smile. He watched Zane disappear back into the main cabin before turning the skiff away. He grinned at something over the edge and banked the small craft, coming to a hover. "Ash!"

Digger twisted around to see the lanky submarine merc lying on the shiny surface of Ava’s ship. He’d spread out some sort of a patchwork quilt and brought a book and some random bottle of alcohol up with him. He almost looked like he was sunbathing, but the dark pants with suspenders, boots, and haphazardly buttoned dress shirt defeated that purpose. Ash propped himself on his elbows and thumbed his bowler hat back. “Nice ride.”

"Going on a trip. Want to come with?" Ty asked.

"Are you driving?" Ash arched an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"No, thank you." He grinned widely and laid back down, his hands clasped under his head.

"I have excellent driving skills, Lucroix." Ty wagged a finger at him.

"Except for that one time in India," Ash said, his face turned up to the sun.

Ty scoffed. “That cart jumped out in front of me.”

"Eight times?"

Nick barked a laugh. Digger snorted. He liked Ash. Ash had no filter and would fit in well on Sidewinder’s crew—something he knew Ty had been angling for over the years.

Ty flipped him off with a shake of his head. “You’re an asshole.”

"Does that make you a dick?" he called out with a laugh as skiff turned away.

Ty’s shoulders shook with laughter.

"He’s the only ex you’re friends with, isn’t he?" Nick called as the engines revved to help them climb altitude.

Ty nodded as he checked the various gauges on the dash.

"Zane must love that." Digger pulled a lighter from his pocket and started messing with it.

Ty laughed. “He deals.”

Nick coughed as he fiddled with one of the fingers on the mechanical hand. “Yeah, I’ll bet he does. He’s way more possessive than you are.”

"No, no he’s not." Ty’s voice pitched lower into the range he favored right before he shot someone. Digger nudged Nick and shook his head.

The ride to Morocco was, thankfully, uneventful. Ty stayed outside the main shipping lanes—both sea and air—and used the clouds for cover as much as he could. By the time they pulled into a garage at Mediterranean Docking, Digger was damp and cold. Dark clouds billowed in the distance, lightning dancing along the curves. Fog rolled down from Gibraltar across the sound and covered the water, making the mountain with its ancient turrets and battle-worn canons barely visible through the mist. Digger shook his head as he stood on the edge of the docking platform. “Don’t like those clouds, Ty.”

Ty joined him on the edge of the platform, glancing at the clouds through lowered brows, then at the teeming city some hundred feet below them. He made a noncommittal noise and spun away, heading for the stairs that would their way to street level. Digger raised his eyebrows at Nick, who shrugged and slung his bag crosswise over his chest. “Guess that means time to go.”

Digger gave the clouds one last look before following the other men.

The usual vibrancy of the Moroccan market felt muted under the gray pallor of the sky. Digger couldn’t shake the anxiety crawling up his spine as they threaded through the masses. Stall owners shouted their wares. Children ran through legs. Pickpockets slunk through the crowd. The mix of spices in the air burned his throat instead of making him hungry. Next to him, Nick rubbed his eyes a few times and looked around with a frown.

Digger double-checked his guns and his knives as they walked. He rested one hand on a knife he kept on his hip as the skittering sensation buzzed up the back of his neck. The other hand he shoved in his pocket where a handful of Nick’s exploding bugs rested. Nick palmed a knife and kept one hand on his gun, his eyes narrowed and restless. “I hate feeling like I’m being hunted,” he muttered.

Digger nodded, scanning rooftops as they passed. Locals sat on the edges, feet dangling, shouting and laughing at each other. Airships and smaller one-manned Wind Riders sailed overhead, cutting through the cloud cover but disappearing  into the growing fog. He laid a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “Something’s off.”

Ty nodded. “I feel it, too. We need to get Deuce and get out of here.” He turned off the main thruway and led them down a narrow alley. Recent rain made the dirt covered stones slick with mud. Beggars reached out to them as they passed. Digger flipped them a few coins. Any type of favorable karma would be good right now. Plus it gave him a moment’s pause to figure out exactly how many were following them. He caught up with Nick.

"How many?" Nick asked quietly.

"Three about forty yards back," he answered.

"I love fair fights," Ty deadpanned as they turned a corner. As they passed the unmarked shop door, he rapped on it three times with his hook and kept walking. He knocked on three more doors in the same fashion. The first set of knocks was to let Deuce know they were there but they were being followed. The other doors were simply diversions so their pursuers didn’t go to Deuce’s shop instead of continuing to chase them.

By unspoken agreement, they turned another corner and split up immediately. Nick pressed himself against a wall in an alcove, his gun drawn and a knife held parallel to his arm. Digger mirrored him on the opposite side, pulling out a handful of bugs and his gun. Ty spun on one heel while he looked up both walls, one eye scrunched as he assessed them. With a running jump, he pushed off one wall, then the other and zig-zagged his way up to a narrow ledge that sat half in fog and half in shadow. He paused on the ledge, tipped his hat at Digger, then jumped up to catch the lip of the roof and pulled himself up out of sight.

The sounds of the market were muffled this far back into the alleyways. They bled through the fog, giving Digger snippets of music and yelling. The only other sounds were his breathing and his heartbeat in his ears.

And footsteps.

He closed his eyes. His other senses amplified, and he focused on the trio of footsteps. One of them had a limp. They all wore heavy soled shoes. One of the other two walked faster. He picked up the whispering of metal against leather and the rasping slide of a gun chambering a bullet. He opened his eyes and pulled three bugs from his pocket. He twisted their heads, mouthed a three count at Nick, and tossed them into the alleyway. Five seconds later, the booms shook the ground, smoke and debris billowing into the air. He and Nick crouched and fired around the corners of their alcoves, aiming for the lurking shadows in the smoke cloud.

Bullets pinged the walls near his face. Digger pulled back to safety, readying another bug and checking the rounds in his gun. He tossed the bug, waited for the boom, and fired one more shot at the same time as Nick. He heard two screams then silence.

Two down.

He glanced across to Nick. The man had a scratch across his cheek but looked otherwise unharmed. Nick stood but stayed in the alcove, his mouth pressed into a knife-thin line. His eyes darted around as he bent his head and listened.

A muffled thump and a shout.

A laugh from Ty.

"Oh for fuck’s sake," Nick muttered.

He and Digger stepped into the alley, guns raised. In the swirling smoke, Digger made out two forms circling and clashing. He couldn’t quite tell who was who yet. He sighed loudly. “Today, Ty, or I’m shooting randomly.”

"Never stopped you before!" Ty called, his voice echoing down the stone walls. Grunts and flesh smacking flesh followed his voice.

"You have a fucking hook, Ty!" Nick rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. "Use it."

"Really? I’d completely forgotten I don’t have a goddamn hand, Nick." The smoke finally cleared enough to show Ty with a bloody hook standing over the body of the third man. His eyes were dark and angry, the muscles on his jaw ticking erratically. "I am really fucking tired of being attacked all the time."

Nick snorted and holstered his gun. “Any idea who they were?”

Ty shook his head as he wiped his hook off on one of the attacker’s shirts. “Never seen them. My guess is Burns sent them.”

"Or the Baron," Digger murmured as he squatted next to one of the bodies. He brushed his fingers over a fleur-de-lis tattoo on the man’s neck. He pushed the man’s collar down and noted a _36_ tattooed underneath. “Hey, tattoo on their necks?”

Nick and Ty bent over the other two bodies and confirmed two identical tattoos.

"This one has a thirty-five under his," Ty said.

"Thirty-seven here." Nick frowned as he rocked back on his heels. "Who numbers their hit men?"

"Someone who wants to track them." Digger stood. "We need to get out of here." He searched his pockets and counted ten bugs. Ten explosions. More if he placed them right. That thought made him smile.

"I don’t like it when he smiles like that," Ty said to Nick.

Nick laughed and stood, brushing his pants off. “Let’s get Deuce and get back to the ship.”

"Agreed. Come on." Ty spun and darted back the way they came, heading for Deuce’s shop. Hopefully, he’d be ready to go after he heard the knocking.

The shop door exploded outward in a ball of flame. Trapped by the narrow alley and windowless walls, flame and hot air billowed in three directions—up and out. Digger moved without thought, grabbing Nick’s coat and the back of Ty’s neck and tackling both men to the ground. Heat and pain seared across his back as the wave of fire whooshed over them. “Well, that’s some bullshit,” he grumbled as he pushed himself up.

Nick grabbed Digger’s arm and spun him around as Ty scrambled up and ran into the shop.

"How bad is my coat? I love this coat. I swear to god I’m going to kill every last fucker with a number on his damn neck!" He twisted, trying to see Nick’s expression. Hot pain pounded through his back like he’d laid on a bed of hot coals.

Not that he’d ever done that.

Sober.

"Hold still," Nick growled. "Your back resembles a well done piece of meat. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Your ass not burning to a crisp." Digger shrugged away from Nick’s hands. "I’m fine. Let’s go." He ran into the shop before Nick could respond. The inside resembled a furnace someone let get out of control. Flames climbed the walls and crawled over counters, eating air and wood, paper and cloth. Cracks ran up the walls, the grinding crunches of imminent collapse loud over the roaring fire. "Ty!"

"Back here!" Came the call.

Digger and Nick pulled their shirt collars over their noses and mouths as they ducked and ran through the room to the back. Ty was bent over the still form of Deuce on the ground. Barnum circled them like a protective mother, ears flat, mouth open in a perpetual hiss.

"How is he?" Nick knelt next to Ty.

"Damaged but still functioning I think."

Digger looked around. “Where’s Livi?”

Ty glanced at him, his eyes shadowed, and shook his head. Digger’s heart sank to his stomach. He’d liked Livi—she had a deep-seated love for all things exploding that he respected. Plus, she took care of Deuce when it wasn’t safe for him to wander around in public anymore.

Digger stepped forward and grabbed Deuce’s arm, using it to pull the body onto his shoulder like a sack of grain. He definitely wasn’t light as far as automatons went, but he’d carried heavier for longer. “Let’s go before this place collapses on us.”

"And before this draws unwanted attention." Nick stood and lead the way out of the room. Barnum padded after Nick, tail swishing.

They hunched and ran through the fiery room. The dwindling oxygen made it hard to breathe and Digger’s chest ached as he pulled in lungful after lungful of scorched air. The groaning and cracking of the building grew louder as the foundations struggled to support their damaged load.

"Go go go!" Ty dove at Digger and Nick, pushing them through the door and into the alley as the building splintered and crumbled. Great chunks of flaming beams and shattered stone flew through the air, turning the alleyway a minefield of killer debris. They ran, dodging and ducking, watching out for each other. Digger held onto Deuce the entire time, gritting his teeth against the added weight and the pain in his back. They burst onto to the busy market street, not slowing down for the looks of surprise and alarm from passersby. You’d think a man with a body over his shoulders followed by a massive automaton cat and two pirates was odd or something. Ty and Nick blazed a path through the crowd for Digger. He kept his gun drawn as he ran, just in case. Barnum circled them, growling at anyone who drifted too close.

Movement across the rooftops drew his attention. “Fuck.”

Two men raced across the rooftops parallel to them, knives flashing as they moved.

"Company!" he yelled.

Nick pulled up short, his eyes narrowed and assessing. He pushed Digger toward Ty. “Go!”

"What?" Ty’s eyes went wide. "No. No fucking way."

"Go or I’ll shoot you myself." Nick drew his gun and fired at the two pursuers. "Go!"

Digger shoved Ty even as a chill ran over his skin at having to separate. “Irish is solid, man. He’s got this.”

Ty scowled but ran anyway, a litany of curses flowing out of his mouth as he did so. Barnum’s big head swung back and forth between Nick and the others. He butted his head against Nick’s hip and crouched into a ready stance as Ty and Digger disappeared. Screams and shouts echoed through the market, blending with the sudden punches of gunfire. Digger would cash in all his karma right now if it meant Nick got out of there alive. Right now, though, he had to get his and Ty’s asses out of here alive. Deuce’s dead weight on his shoulder wasn’t helping.

"Give him to me," Ty spun around and held his mechanical arm out.

Digger eyed the hook dubiously. Ty rolled his eyes. “He’s a machine. I won’t hurt him if I accidentally stab him with this thing.”

"True." They made quick work transferring Deuce to Ty’s shoulder. Ty wrapped his arm around Deuce’s thighs, adjusted a little, then nodded. Digger shook out his numb arm and pulled a knife. He took the lead and headed toward the docking platforms. They slowed to a walk, trying not to look too inconspicuous despite the limp automaton slung over Ty’s shoulder. They wound through the water-level deck maze to the massive staircases that led to the airship platforms. Pay a higher price and you could get one with a lift. The rest of the peasants had to hoof it up several flights of dubiously-constructed staircases. Thankfully, the skiff was small and able to be parked on a level closer to the ground.

Digger headed up the stairs while Ty followed close behind. He swallowed the foreboding sensation that the skiff was damaged as they neared their dock.

It was unharmed, bobbing pleasantly on its mooring.

"Thank god," Ty panted.

Digger nodded and hopped on board. He turned and took Deuce from Ty and got him settled and strapped into the fourth chair. Then they both turned and looked at the empty stairwell landing.

"Come on, Nick…" Ty growled.

Digger blew out a harsh breath and walked to the edge of the platform, scanning the rooftops and streets below. It was difficult to make out details from this high up but he zeroed in on a shock of red hair and a sleek silver animal as they ran across rooftops. “There.”

"Get in." Ty hopped in the skiff and detached the mooring. He revved the engines as Digger vaulted into the back. Ty deftly spun the craft around and dove toward the crowd, flying far lower than ordinance allowed. They skimmed roofs, closing in on Nick as he ran from a lone pursuer. "Take the wheel!" Ty yelled. He switched places with Digger and leaned over the edge of the railing as they approached. "Nick!"

Digger held them steady, nosing the skiff as low as he could without actually hitting anyone. They would get one chance at this without having to go around to try again. He didn’t think Nick had that kind of time based on the limp and the dark red stain spreading down one of his arms. Anger boiled up hot and fast inside his chest and down his arms. He gripped the wheel with one hand and pulled his gun with the other. “You have him?”

"Almost…Got him!" Ty grabbed Nick’s arm and Nick latched onto Ty’s forearm. Ty heaved and pulled backward, using the momentum of Nick’s running to swing the man up so he could grab the railing. Barnum roared and leapt into the rear of the craft, skidding across the floor and slamming into a chair.

"Good." Digger aimed and fired, catching Nick’s attacker just above the ear. He dropped like a stone, his momentum pitching him forward into a table full of rooftop diners. He pulled the skiff up, banking hard back toward the water, and gunned the engines.

~*~

Kelly hooked an ankle around one of the thick ropes woven into the netting he lounged on about fifty feet above the main deck. Cecily stretched out across his thigh, her metal body warmed by the sun. He scratched between her ears, momentarily wishing she was a real animal instead of what basically amounted to a highly intelligent toy. But Nick had worked tirelessly on her when Kelly was sick with a bought of severe bronchitis a few years back. He’d been so proud of the animal—the most intricate and intelligent thing he’d built to that point. And Kelly had fallen a little bit more in love with him that day.

The breeze kicking off the water felt good on his bare chest. He debated checking his eyes but the light reflecting off the water was making them sting a little even behind the dark lenses. It’d only been a couple of days but he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that his eyes were fucked up permanently. Nick insisted they’d be okay and he’d be back to his normal sunglasses in no time. Kelly managed to spread his mouth into the easy smile he knew would reassure Nick and convince him Kelly felt the same way.

Everything else was healing just fine. His ribs didn’t ache as much. His calf was a giant blend of bruising and scabbing but it would heal without scarring. His wrists would scar and that, honestly, upset him more than his eyes. Consequently, he’d scrounged up two leather cuffs wide enough to cover everything and hadn’t taken them off since. Nick noticed but, thankfully, didn’t say anything. His eyes were a reminder enough of what happened to him—he didn’t need something else he could see and feel to bring back those nightmares.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out the well-worn, scratched harmonica he’d lifted when he was thirteen. Kelly had taught himself to play by listening to others and annoying the shit out of Nick and Ty while he practiced. Over and over.

And over.

Now, he blew out a few notes to make sure it was clean and began a mournful lullaby that he’d learned a long time ago. He’d forgotten the words over the years, but it always made him think of loss and love. Of darkness braided with hope. It was his favorite song to play. The notes rang out crisp and clear, floating on the salty breeze and dipping down to ride along the ocean waves. He played slow, drawing out the notes longer than usual, trying to pass the time and not give into the worry that something bad had happened.

Kelly would love just one day where nothing happened.

Maybe he’d pull his doctor rank and tell everyone to stay in bed tomorrow.

The final notes faded out, replaced with the lapping waves and the far off calls of sea birds. Also, clapping. Kelly frowned and sat up, looking around for the source. He grinned when he found it. “Hey, Ash!”

Ash waved from his perch on the top of the submarine. “That was some fine mouth harping, Doc.”

Kelly climbed down, jumping the last few feet, and made his way to the railing. Cecily followed, crawling up his leg to his arm and peering over the railing before continuing her journey to his shoulder. “Thanks, man. It helps distract me.”

Ash nodded. “Any word from your boys?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. Only been about six hours. I’ll start worrying at ten.”

"Liar." Ash grinned.

Kelly shrugged one shoulder. “What are you doing?”

"Having a picnic." He swept his arm at his book, his mostly finished bottle of liquor and his blanket which was damp around the edges from water spray.

"You been out there all day?"

Ash nodded. “Ava’s in a mood and it’s been a while since I’ve had fresh air.”

Kelly frowned and gestured to the boards connecting their ship to the hull of the sub. “Come on up. I can guarantee it’s more comfortable up here.”

"You sure?"

"Well if you try anything, I’ll shoot you."

Ash laughed. “Fair enough.” He grabbed his book and bottle, scurried nimbly up the boards, and vaulted the railing easily. “You’re right, this is much better.” He adjusted his hat and peered up at the rigging, the bead of his tongue piercing poking out of the side of his mouth. “You guys have sails?”

"Somewhere. Haven’t had a chance to put them up yet. Have to deflate the balloon first and that’s a major pain in the ass." Kelly grabbed onto another length of rigging and pulled himself up, his toes gripping the side of the cabin wall. Ash followed easily and, soon, they were sitting high off the deck in the shade. Cecily scurried after them, venturing across the ropes to investigate Ash. He grinned and held a hand out for her.

"She’s pretty awesome."

"Nick built her for me." Kelly watched the weasel set her chin in Ash’s hand then crawl up his arm to his shoulder and poke at his hat with her nose.

"You two still together?"

Kelly grinned and nodded. “Yeah. Bastard can’t get rid of me no matter how hard he tries.”

Ash laughed. “That’s good. Ship flings can be dangerous if it doesn’t work out. I’m glad to see Ty and Zane still strong.”

"Oh, those two are mated for life." Kelly patted around his pockets for snacks. He pulled out a bag of jerky and offered it to Ash. Ash traded him the bottle of liquor with a nod and a grin.

"So," Ash started as he ripped apart a piece of jerky with his teeth. "Heard about what happened to you."

Kelly stilled for a moment then nodded. He took a longer than normal pull of the alcohol, relishing the burn down his throat and the warmth that settled comfortably in his stomach. “Yeah, we got lucky.”

"You got a cool pair of goggles out of the deal."

Kelly laughed. “I guess you can look at it that way.”

Ash settled back on the rigging. “Silver lining, my friend. Seriously, though, you solid?”

Kelly bobbed his head from side to side and passed the bottle back. “Getting there.”

"At least you’re honest about it." Ash took a swig. "I’m a little more than tired of these assholes who get shot or maimed in some fashion and insist they’re fine to anyone with a pulse. Mind you, I love my crew, but the bravado is a little thick in there sometimes."

"It’s easier to dodge on an impressively large airship." Kelly smirked.

Ash laughed and pointed at him with the bottle. “Nice. That was smooth.”

"I try." Kelly squinted in the direction the skiff had gone, hoping to see something moving on the horizon.

"Um, is that them?" Ash pointed in another direction. Kelly frowned and leaned forward, trying to make out details through his dark lenses. Everything was a combination of too dark and washed out and it drove him crazy.

"I can’t tell. Whoa, wait a minute. Yep, that’s them." Kelly started to climb down.

"They’re coming in awfully fast," Ash observed.

The skiff skimmed the water, sending up plumes of water in its wake. Kelly and Ash reached the railing as the craft came into view. One sail was burned, hanging by tatters. Kelly couldn’t see Nick and his heart squeezed painfully. “Oh god.”

"What do you need me to do?" Ash asked quietly as the skiff approached.

"You have medical training?"

"A little. I can stitch a straight line." Ash rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms covered in winding tattoos.

"Infirmary’s down that way, third door." Kelly waved in the general direction. "Grab whoever I don’t."

"Got it."

The drone of the skiff’s engines stuttered, released a high pitched whine, and cut off with a clank right as the craft reached the ship. Zane came running out of the cabin at the noise. Ty leaned over and threw Kelly the mooring ropes, which he quickly tied off. “Grab Deuce!”

Ash climbed on the railing and helped transfer the unconscious automaton onto the ship. Zane and Kelly set him carefully on the deck, arranging his limbs out of the way. It felt weird to deposit him on the floor, but Kelly was far more worried about the people who could actually bleed to death. “Where’s Nick?”

"I’m right here." Nick stood with Ty’s help, his face pinched and pale. A rag was tied around his very bloody arm and he moved stiffly.

"You know, babe, we live together. You don’t need to go get yourself hurt to see me." Kelly kept his voice light even as his insides twisted into knots.

Nick laughed and slung his arm around Kelly’s shoulders, clambering onto the ship with a sharp inhale. Kelly wrapped his arm around Nick’s waist and moved slowly. He glanced back to see Ash and Ty helping Digger out of the skiff. “How’s he?”

"Back’s a little toasted," Ty answered. "There was a bomb."

"A what?" Zane breathed as he helped them onto the ship.

Barnum’s head popped up and the cat hopped nimbly onto the deck, padding over to sit next to Deuce. His metal skin was scorched in places, but he looked intact.

"A bomb in Deuce’s shop." Ty landed heavily on the deck and helped Digger over the railing. "He’s damaged."

"You?" Zane asked, his eyes dark with concern and skating over Ty’s person.

Ty gave Zane a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, but I’m really done with going ashore. I’ve been shot at, blown up, punched, kidnapped, tied up, and nearly drowned.” He poked Zane in the chest as they hobbled toward the infirmary. “You get to lead landing parties from now on.”

"Anything you want, doll," Zane murmured quietly.

"Where’s Livi?" Kelly asked.

"Didn’t make it," Nick managed as they crowded into the infirmary. There was a moment’s silence while that news sunk in then Kelly cleared his throat and started directing people to beds. He ignored Ty’s protests and put him in a bed just to check him over, threatening him with a sedative if he didn’t sit still and shut up. He put Ash to work on cleaning up Digger’s back, which, after they peeled away his jacket and shirt, was only burned in spots and not nearly as bad as they thought. He cussed more about his ruined jacket than his back.

Kelly got Nick situated on a bed and pretty much shut out the rest of the room, focusing all of his attention on the man in front of him. “What happened? And don’t you dare tone it down for me.”

"Are you asking as my doctor or my boyfriend?" Nick’s half-smile pulled up one side of his mouth.

Kelly made a frustrated noise and glared at him. “Don’t make me full name you.”

"You’re hot when you get bossy." He tried to laugh and it broke off in a groan. As Kelly untied the rag and made an impatient gesture for him to take off his shirt, he continued. "Guys were following us. We took down three of them. Then the bomb blew up Deuce’s shop. On our way back, we spotted two more. I stayed behind to distract them while Ty and Digger got Deuce to the skiff. They swung by on their way out to get me."

"Off a roof," Ty called out. "Caught him on a flyby. First try." He grinned with obvious pride.

"What happened while you were being a distraction?" Kelly examined the two long gashes in Nick’s arm. Jesus, he could see bone.

"Knives. Guns. Fists." Nick grinned at him again.

"Stop being cute," Kelly muttered. "Why are you limping?"

"Rolled my ankle." Nick reached over with his other hand and grabbed Kelly’s chin, his thumb running down Kelly’s jaw. "Hey, it all looks worse than it is."

Kelly blew out a breath. “I know. I just…don’t like seeing your blood.”

"I’m not a fan either." Nick let his hand drop and settled back with a wince.

Kelly watched him quietly as Nick’s eyelids fluttered for a moment then he blinked himself back awake with another wince as he shifted. He turned to the syringe gun and loaded it. “I have to do a few layers of stitches on your arm.”

Nick eyed the gun. “Are you really going to knock me out?”

Kelly smiled broadly as he pressed the gun to Nick’s neck and pulled the trigger. “Yep.”

"That’s cold, man," Digger said from across the room.

"You’re next, big guy." Kelly threatened as he started cleaning the cuts on Nick’s arm. He worked quickly and efficiently, stitching up the muscles in two layers of tiny stitches, and then finally the skin. He listened to snatches of conversation between the others as he worked, concentrating mostly on watching Nick’s skin pull back together. He reinforced the stitches with X bandages down each line, then wrapped Nick’s arm in gauze. He did a cursory examination of Nick’s torso and listened to his breathing while he slept. He bandaged up the rapidly swelling ankle, loaded some antibiotics into the gun, and delivered them.

"How’s Eli?" Ty asked as Kelly walked over to him.

Kelly nodded to a bed in the far corner. “Still out. It’s only been twenty-four hours. Vitals are stable. All we can do is wait.”

Ty pressed his lips together and exhaled heavily. He glanced at Ash. “Thanks, man.”

Ash offered a slight smile. “Glad you guys are okay.” He gestured to the door. “Do you want me to put that automaton anywhere?”

"I’ll get him in a minute," Zane said. He hadn’t taken his hands off Ty since he got back.

Kelly’s heart hurt as he looked at his shipmates, his captains, and his lover. They were all battered and bruised, broken in one way or another. And now they were expected to lead an armada of mercenaries who, up to this point, were far more concerned with hoarding wealth and protecting territory than anything else.

Movement near the door drew his attention and he watched as Barnum slunk into the room. Without pausing, the big cat walked right up to Ty’s bed and leapt onto it. He turned twice and curled up, his head on Ty’s thighs. After a moment of surprised hesitation, Ty reached out and scratched Barnum behind one scorched and bent ear.


	12. Phase Three and You - How to Assist in the War Effort

"Take your time, Eli."

The voice was familiar and distant, like someone speaking from the other end of a long, dark cave. Elias knew that voice, though, and tried to head toward it but his body was sluggish and heavy. It was like trudging through thick mud with his head clamped in a vice. He hoped the voice on the other end was worth it. This shit fucking sucked.

"Can you hear me, Eli?"

He tried to nod, wasn’t sure if he actually did. The voice grew louder and more distinct. _Kelly?_

"Yep, it’s me. Don’t try to talk yet."

Oh, he said that out loud. The closer to consciousness he floated, the more he wanted to be under again. Everything hurt. Shapes and colors slowly swam into focus, growing brighter and more defined as he blinked. Messy brown hair. Dark goggles. A smirk that managed to look both concerned and amused.

"Stop staring, creeper," he rasped.

The smirk grew into a full smile. “There you are.”

Elias groaned and shut his eyes as pain pounded through his head and down his neck. His stomach tipped and tossed, making him feel like he was on water instead of in the air. “Sick.”

"Yeah, the nausea meds haven’t kicked in yet. Give them another few minutes" Kelly’s voice moved away then came back. "You’re lucky I remembered that you get seasick."

"Sea?" He cracked one eye open and immediately regretted the idea.

Kelly hummed. “We crashed into the ocean. Ship’s intact. Ava came to visit. We’re in charge of an armada now. And we might have a stowaway because someone attacked you. Deuce is on board but broken. So is Barnum, but he isn’t broken. Just a little singed because of a bomb. Oh! And Ty has a badass hook on his new arm. He says he hates it but I think he secretly pets it when no one’s looking.”

He chuckled at Kelly’s rambling, the doc’s voice drifting around the room. It hurt to laugh. His chest felt tight and bruised. “What happened?”

The bed dipped as Kelly sat on the edge next to Elias’ hip. “Well, I was hoping you could answer that question. What’s the last thing you remember?”

Elias frowned, sludging his way through dark and hazy memories. “Kitchen with Ty making soup.”

"That soup was awesome, by the way. Anything after that?"

He opened his eyes and stared at Kelly, hoping his crewmate’s face could jog something. “Talking to you guys below deck.”

Kelly nodded. “Anything else?” His voice was gentle, not pressing. Just curious and conversational.

Elias sighed, staring at the ceiling while he tried to push further into the darkness. “The catwalks. Those damn rats Nick built.”

Kelly snickered but said nothing.

"Purple light? Eyes maybe?" The picture was hazy as Elias grasped at it, the fleeting image dancing away into his memories again.

"Purple eyes?"

"Yeah. I think. Do any of the rats have purple eyes?"

Kelly shook his head. “They have red eyes in order to freak Ty out. Cecily has blue eyes. I can’t think of anything Nick’s built that has purple eyes. But I’ll ask him.”

"So what…" His question morphed into a groan as pain lanced across his head, sending a fireburst of colored spots across his vision.

"Happened?" Kelly pointed to his own temple. "You were found unconscious below deck with a mother of a skull bash. You have some bruising on your torso from hitting a support beam when we crashed. Based on what you just said, you were jumped before we landed. Probably right after you talked to us."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just over twenty-four hours." Kelly grinned. "Trust me, be glad you slept through it."

"Sounds like." At the mere mention of sleep, a yawn popped Elias’ jaw.

Kelly got up and rested his hand on Elias’ forehead briefly before making a satisfied sound. “You sleep. I’ll get Ty and Zane here next time you wake up. Maybe you’ll remember more then.”

Elias nodded, sleep already rolling over his body like a blanket. “Hey, Doc?”

Kelly paused.

"Thanks."

He grinned. “Well, if you died, then one of these other assholes would have to cook. And, well, no.”

"You just love me for my broth," Elias mumbled as he drifted off.

"My stomach will always belong to you, my dearest." Kelly’s voice echoed away into the darkness.

~*~

Nick frowned at the mass of circuitry that was the inside of Deuce’s skull. He rubbed his eyes and slipped his glasses down, adjusting the lenses until his vision was magnified. He hoped he could find and fix whatever was wrong. Deuce meant a lot to him—to Ty and Kelly, too. He’d protected them growing up. Kept them from being picked up off the street. After finding out what happened to Kelly, Nick was even more grateful for Deuce’s guardianship all those years.

It was Deuce that noticed Nick’s fascination with the clockwork guards outside the royal palaces and prime ministers’ homes. He started teaching Nick about circuitry, gearwork, and the various versions of automatons. He’d even opened up his head and his torso for Nick to examine. Deuce helped him build his first automaton—an owl that now perched in his workshop. Nick had always wanted to work on actual humanoid automatons, but never thought it would be bringing Deuce back to life.

"All right, D. I apologize ahead of time for anything I completely fuck up. I hope you don’t wake up thinking you’re a woman or something," he muttered as he bent over the open panel.

"I don’t know. That might be amusing." Kelly’s voice drifted into the shop.

Nick snorted without looking up. “Ty would have a field day.”

Kelly giggled. Moments later, his body pressed against Nick’s side and warm lips moved against Nick’s neck. The warmth was gone quickly as Kelly moved away so he wouldn’t intrude. Nick glanced at him over the top of his glasses. Kelly had pushed his goggles up and was rubbing his tightly closed eyes. Without opening them, he pulled the goggles back down and situated them again. Nick swallowed the sigh. He missed Kelly’s oddly bright eyes and the way they scrunched around the corners when he smiled or the way they grew even brighter when he was turned on.

"How’s your arm?"

Nick shrugged. “Hurts, but I’ll manage. My doc told me not to lift heavy shit or I might tear the stitches.”

"You should listen to him. Sounds like a smart guy." Kelly grinned.

Nick winked at him. “He’s pretty hot, too.”

"Flattery gets you everywhere, jerk."

"I know."

"Eli woke up." Kelly squatted and held an hand out for Cecily, who crawled up his arm to his shoulder.

Nick’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? How is he?”

"Woozy, a little seasick, mother of a headache." He turned and pulled himself up on the counter, sitting cross-legged and fiddling with one of his leather wrist cuffs. "He only remembers purple eyes as far as what happened to him."

"Purple eyes?" Nick frowned and started poking around in Deuce’s noggin.

"Yeah. None of the shit you’ve built has purple eyes, does it?"

Nick shook his head. “Blue or red. Those are usually the cheapest colors. I can’t remember ever seeing purple actually.”

"Human automatons?"

"They have synthetic eye coverings to look human, but underneath is usually red."

"Huh."

Nick glanced at him. “That sounds like you just had a light bulb moment.”

"Maybe a tiny one. If someone had blue synthetic covering and their eyes flared bright enough, could it be purple?"

He thought about it. “I guess. I’ve never seen it personally.” He gestured to Deuce. “Let’s ask him when I wake him up.”

"Can I do anything?"

"Sit there. Keep me company."

"Done."

Nick smiled and bent over his work.

Two electrical surges, a ridiculous amount of cussing, forty minutes spent with Kelly wrapped around him like a koala bear in an effort to release some frustration, and five hours later, Nick pushed his glasses up and rubbed his eyes. “Here goes nothing.”

Kelly bit his bottom lip and nodded from his perch on the counter.

Nick reached in, positioning his fingers over three gold buttons. He breathed out slowly, hoping he wasn’t about to blow up Deuce, himself, Kelly, and the ship, and pressed them simultaneously. He counted to five, released them, and waited.

"Now what?" Kelly asked, his voice low as if raising it to normal volume would disrupt the process.

"Praying or hoping, whichever you feel partial to at the moment," Nick answered without taking his eyes off Deuce. "Or running away in case he explodes."

"You explode, I explode," Kelly said simply.

"That was morbidly romantic."

"I have my moments."

Nick laughed, some of the tension seeping out of him as a series of lights flickered on in a spiral pattern. He turned Deuce’s face, watching the bare eye for any sign of life. It stayed dark and empty.

"How long does this usually take?" Kelly asked.

"How many human automatons have I worked on in my life, Kels?"

"This one and your mom?"

Nick threw a leather scrap at him. Kelly ducked, cackling.

"Children."

They both snapped around to the table where Deuce lay. His uncovered eye glowed red, dim but steady. He lifted his hand then dropped it to the table again.

"Hey, D. How’s things?" Kelly hopped down and walked to the other side of the worktable.

"Am I in one piece?" Deuce asked, his human eye blinking.

Nick nodded. “As far as I can tell. Can you not feel something?”

Deuce shook his head. “Just thought I’d ask. Help me up.”

They helped him sit up. He wavered for a moment but steadied. “What happened?”

"Explosion in your shop. Do you remember?" Nick asked.

Deuce frowned. “I have a memory of fire and the shop shaking. Then I’m here.”

"Ty, Digger, and I found you in the shop. You were damaged and shut down. We brought you back to the ship."

"Livi and Barnum?"

"Barnum’s here." Nick pressed his lips together. Deuce read his expression loud and clear. He nodded and looked away. Nick had no idea to what level Deuce felt emotion, but if an automaton was capable of falling in love, he’d done so with Livi. They’d been together since Ty and the others boarded Sidewinder eight years ago. Livi had acted as caretaker and gatekeeper, keeping him hidden and cared for.

"Who did it?" he asked quietly.

Nick shook his head. “Someone who tattoos a fleur de lis and a number on the necks of their hit men.”

"Why were you coming to the shop anyway? I heard Ty’s knocks and started to grab my stuff when everything went to hell." Deuce held up his exposed metallic hand, flexing the fingers one at a time.

"To get you out of danger," Nick said with a wry smile. "Someone’s declared war on the mercs so we’re banding together."

Deuce froze and looked at Nick with a wide human eye. “You’re doing what?”

Kelly snickered. “Ty and Zane are captaining an armada of mercenaries.”

"Oh hell." Deuce rubbed his forehead. "Who put them in charge?"

"Ava," Nick barely answered with a straight face. He failed and a snicker broke free.

Deuce blinked at him. “What the fuck?”

Kelly swatted Nick on the shoulder. “Apparently all the mercs decided they wanted Sidewinder to lead. Ava just delivered the news right after we splashed down.”

"They want you to take the fall if something goes wrong." Deuce swung his legs over the edge of the counter and flexed his joints.

"Bingo." Nick folded his arms, wincing as the motion pulled a little at the stitches in his bicep. "Everything working?"

"So far. How bad was the damage?"

"You had a dented cranial plate I had to replace. Whatever hit you jogged loose just about everything in your head."

"You lost your marbles," Kelly piped up.

Deuce rolled his eyes. He looked down at his leg. “Did you happen to fix this while you were playing Automaton God?”

Nick shook his head. “I didn’t have the parts, sorry. But you’re welcome to scrounge around my shop if you think something might help. I’m just glad your head is working.”

Deuce stood carefully, testing his weight and balance. He stuck out his human hand and shook Nick’s. “Thanks, Nick. I owe you.”

"No, you don’t." Nick met his gaze evenly. They stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Deuce nodded with a small smile. He looked around the shop.

"What can I help with?"

Nick pointed to Ty’s partly completed hand. “New hand for Captain Sir.”

"What happened to the other one?"

"Oh, man, do I have a story for you." Kelly pulled himself up on the counter and started recounting the tale of his and Ty’s capture, near death experience, and rescue. He spoke easily, his voice staying detached as if he were recounting a story about some bad weather. When he got to the part about his eyes, Deuce motioned for him to take off his goggles. After some vigorous protesting, Kelly finally huffed and relented. Nick doused the lights in the room, the only illumination coming from the soft, red glow of Deuce’s bare eye.

Kelly kept his eyes shut even as Deuce grasped his chin. “Really, you don’t have to look at them.”

"Kels," Nick said quietly. He didn’t know what or how Deuce knew about Kelly’s eyes, but he knew Deuce wanted to help.

Kelly sighed and opened his eyes slowly, keeping them lowered.

"Look at me," Deuce requested gently.

Kelly’s eyes flickered up and Nick almost gasped out loud. Blue and green swirled around the outside edge of each iris, the colors blending like smoke and fading to pure white toward the pupil. Little streaks of black shot out from the pupil as if the boundary between pupil and iris existed only in tenuous agreement. A dark ring of some indistinguishable color surrounded the outer edge of the iris. They seemed lit from within, taking on an eerie glow even without the light from Deuce’s eye hitting them.

"Well, that’s different," Deuce murmured.

"Do I want to know?" Kelly asked. He flinched as he met Deuce’s gaze.

"You haven’t looked in a mirror?"

"Haven’t been able to." Kelly fidgeted with his wrist cuffs while Deuce examined him.

"He’s more than hyper-sensitive now," Nick said. "He can’t be without the goggles unless it’s nearly pitch black." What he didn’t mention was that Kelly hadn’t taken them off since he put them on, not even to sleep. What he didn’t mention was how it worried Nick when Kelly opened his eyes for the first time in the darkness of their cabin and there was no glow of any kind. Just pain. This was the first time Nick had actually seen Kelly’s eyes since the accident and, fuck, they were gorgeous. He was not one to wax poetic about anything, but _damn_.

"Huh." Deuce dropped Kelly’s chin. "You can see me now?"

Kelly nodded.

"Can you see Nick?"

Kelly’s eyes flickered to Nick and he nodded. “Hey.”

"Hey." Nick smiled.

"Tell me when you can’t see me anymore." Deuce backed away. He made it to the clear other end of the shop. "You can still see me?"

"Yeah, I can see the whole shop. It’s blurry around the edges, though." Kelly blew out a breath.

"What about now?" Deuce’s red eye switched off, plunging the room into complete darkness.

Kelly was silent.

Nick blinked and widened his eyes even though he knew that wouldn’t help. “Kelly?” The darkness made him nervous.

"I can see you guys," Kelly said quietly. "Completely clear."

"Like you could before?" Deuce’s voice drifted over from the other end.

"Yeah." Kelly sounded confused.

The lamps flared on suddenly. Kelly yelped and slapped his hands over his eyes, hunching over with a hoarse cry. Nick whirled on Deuce, who was limping toward him. “What the fuck?” He turned to smack the nearest bank of switches. Deuce grabbed Nick’s wrist.

"Wait, look."

Nick turned. Kelly’s brow furrowed as he blinked. He wiped the backs of his hands across his eyes and that’s when Nick saw the tracks down his face. “Kels, what is it?”

"I’m not crying, jerks. My eyes are watering like a damn faucet."

"Can you see?" Deuce asked carefully.

"Hurts like a mother, but…yeah, I can see. Kinda." He pulled his goggles back on. "Sorry, I can’t take that much."

"No, that’s one helluva improvement over the candle." Nick’s elation blasted through his body and he wrapped his arms around Kelly. "I told you," he murmured in his ear and smiled into his hair. Kelly’s eyes would heal. _Thank fuck._

Kelly burrowed his face into Nick’s neck. “Yeah, yeah.” The hands pressed to Nick’s back trembled, but Nick didn’t draw attention to it. He nipped at Kelly’s ear and held him, meeting Deuce’s gaze over Kelly’s shoulder. He mouthed a thank you.

Deuce nodded. He rubbed a hand over his head and looked around. “Ty’s hand?”

Kelly pulled away from Nick. “I’ll go find Deuce some new clothes.” He grabbed Cecily and left before anyone could say anything.

"Is he…" Deuce sounded unsure.

"He’s okay," Nick said with a wan smile. "His capture brought back a lot of unpleasant memories." He moved to the worktable and set Ty’s hand where Deuce had been lying.

"I bet." Deuce sat down and pulled the hand to himself so he could examine it.

Nick frowned. “What do you know about what happened to him?”

Deuce didn’t answer for a long time. Nick waited patiently, knowing if he pushed Deuce would clam up. Finally, Deuce slid the hand back and sat heavily in a chair. “I know about the experiments. I knew who Kelly was when you guys found me.”

"How?"

"Auggies used to be on a network when we were in production. Since we have higher AI brain functions, our line was used for more delicate and secretive projects."

"Like putting eye drops in children’s eyes," Nick muttered.

Deuce pointed at him. “Lot of government run projects. Lots of medical run projects. Even more military projects.”

"Kelly’s was military?"

"Yep. See, since all the Auggies were connected, all of us had access to every file for every project a unit worked on. Replacing any of us on a project would be easier. Just open those files and go."

"And an Auggie worked on Kelly’s project."

"Several, in fact. I wouldn’t be surprised if the doctors Kelly met were actually Auggies." Deuce crossed his ankles. "When I saw him—saw his eyes—I knew he’d been part of that project and was probably the promising phase two kid that had escaped."

Nick’s stomach flipped. How easy it would have been for Deuce to turn them in—to turn Kelly in. Deuce read his expression and his jaw tightened. “You boys were good to me. You hid me after automatons became hunted. It’d be pretty damn poor of me to go running to the labs to tell them I found their prize pupil. It would have been condemning Kelly to death.”

"He said phase three had a low success rate."

Deuce snorted. “Whatever he overheard was a lie. Phase three had a zero percent success rate. Every child who progressed to phase three died.”

"Jesus." Nick rubbed his face. "What was phase three?"

"Well, phase one was enhanced eyesight. Being able to see long distances, make out details no one else could without the aid of a scope. Those kids were shuttled off to the military to become snipers. Phase two was seeing in the dark. The nasty side effect was the inability to really see during the day unless the subject was wearing protective lenses. Those kids, if they survived and weren’t sent to phase three, were trained as spies. Phase three was the next step."

Nick frowned. “What’s after seeing in the dark?”

Deuce shrugged. “Seeing through things? Being able to shoot lasers from your eyes? Don’t really know because no one ever survived the next round of drugs or surgeries. Kelly was lucky to escape. Damn lucky.”

"Fuck." Chills rolled down Nick’s spine. He fought every urge to bolt out of the workshop, find Kelly, and lock him in their cabin for the rest of forever. He frowned. "How do you know all this?"

"Auggies are still used in high-level government programs. And there’s still a network." He tapped his head and grinned. "And some of us know how to hack into it without being noticed."

Nick laughed and shook his head. “That’s how you know so much.”

His lazy shrug and smirk betrayed his answer.

"That lab still around? Because I really want to go blow it up."

"Yep, they do a lot of contract experiments for various governments and military in most of the provinces. Including the smoke bombs."

That nudged something in the back of Nick’s mind. “Smoke bombs?” Even as he said the words, it clunked into place. “Zane’s lungs.”

Deuce nodded. “Zane’s lungs.”

~*~

_2352: The Americas_

Being separated from Ty and their crew wasn’t on Zane’s agenda.

Neither was being tied to a chair.

Zane eyed the wall of a man standing in front of him. So far, this man’s fists had been responsible for Zane’s split lip, broken nose, and severe ringing in his ears that still hadn’t quieted down.

"Had enough?" The voice drifted from the shadows of the warehouse.

Zane spat blood to one side. “Is there a reward at the finish line?”

"Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Zachary."

Zane schooled his features. “Wrong guy, asshole.”

The chuckle was low and seemed to vibrate the air. “Perhaps.”

Zane cracked his neck and sniffed. “You want to tell me why I’m trussed up?”

"To keep you from killing everyone here."

At least the voice was honest.

"My crew will be looking for me." Zane glanced around what he could see of the warehouse. Crates stacked up on all sides. Dirty windows lining the top third of all four walls. It smelled like leather and metal and burned oil. He heard the distant drone of engines and maybe water but he couldn’t be sure.

"Granted. They won’t find you. We moved you several states away. And you know how large the Americas are. You think your boys can scour two entire continents and find you in time?"

Zane licked his lips. “In time for what?”

"Surely you aren’t that dense. I thought your parents raised you far better than that."

Zane’s gut twisted. “I don’t have parents.”

"Everyone has parents, idiot. Running away from them doesn’t make them disappear."

Zane refused to answer. He pulled against his bonds, testing for weakness. There was a little give around his left wrist. He might be able to work with that. “So what’s your grand plan? Send me home?”

"In a matter of speaking." Fingers snapped and the hulking guy in front of Zane turned heel and walked away, disappearing into the darkness. Moments later, a slice of daylight appeared as the man opened a door, left, and slammed it behind him. The boom and reverberations hurt his ears. But over the echo of the slam was another sound—a clinking. As he watched, a small gray canister rolled into view. It was free of any markings save a red stripe around the middle.

The horror only took root when a greenish gas leaked out of one end. It crawled along the floor toward him like dry ice, looking like some otherworldly mist. But Zane knew better. He didn’t remember the full, complex name of the substance but everyone called it Acid Smoke. It slowly ate away at soft tissue—destroying lungs and brains and any other vital organ it could seep into. It had been banned outright when the full effects were revealed during the Great Wars. However, as with all weaponry, the black markets got their hands on the surplus and Acid Smoke became a weapon of torture, punishment, and death.

"We’ll be back to collect your remains tomorrow."

Another door slam.

And he was alone.

He pulled on the restraints in earnest now. The left one loosened a fraction more but not enough to slip his hand out, even if he dislocated his thumb to try. He shifted in the chair, testing its durability. He had two choices: try to rock the chair over and break it enough to get free, but he’d be on ground level with the mist; or keep trying the left restraint and buy himself a few more minutes by staying a few feet off the floor. As it was, the greenish smoke lapped at his shoes and swirled around his ankles. A faint sweet smell assaulted his nostrils and he held his breath on instinct. Not that it mattered. His skin would absorb the smoke.

Good thing he was wearing boots that went halfway up his calves.

Zane closed his eyes, calming his racing heart with a few deep breaths. _Think, Garrett. You’re a fucking pirate captain. You can get out of this,_ Ty’s voice berated him, echoed around his skull. He glanced at the smoke and shifted in his chair again, pinpointing the weakest leg. He took a huge breath and flung his body weight back and to the left, shifting all the stress on that leg, causing it to splinter. That same piece of wood formed the back of the chair and it bowed and snapped. Pain flared along the underside of his arm but he ignored it for now. He landed hard on his shoulder, grunting with the force of the impact, and rolled. The remains of the chair slid as he moved, almost but not quite slipping completely free. His motion halted with him on his side, arms still bound behind his back, and a wedge of chair pinned by his arm pressing painfully into his side.

Lungs burning, his body took over and breath rushed out of him in a whoosh and inhaled just as fast. Sweet burning crawled down his throat and filled his chest with fire. He coughed and gagged. Green mist rolled over his chest and neck, crowding up his face and filling his vision.

"No," he croaked and tried to roll away. The piece of chair inhibited his movement, just digging more into his side as he moved. His lungs burned and pain ricocheted around his chest. He tried to hold his breath but a coughing fit overrode that decision and caused him to choke on more smoke.

Distantly, Zane heard the squeal of a door and footsteps. “Help,” he rasped, not caring who it was. He was beyond caring if it was someone to rescue him or his captors coming back to finish the job. Anything to get away from the fire in his chest.

Spots crowded his vision as the smoke replaced most of the oxygen. Trying to breathe was like pulling air through cotton. Everything burned and his body grew heavy. A sense of detachment settled over his mind, pulling him away from the pain and burning. Ty’s face flickered into his thoughts, dim and far away. He reached for him, knowing Ty would make everything better.

A shadow fell across him and something cool pressed to his face. He barely registered clean air and a deep voice telling him to breathe before he blacked out.

Someone put hot coals in his chest. That had to be why there was so much burning pain as consciousness assaulted Zane heavy and fast. His eyes snapped open and he bowed up with a hoarse shout, grabbing at his chest as a fit of coughing overtook him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy." A hand grabbed his shoulder and Zane’s body reacted. He grabbed the strange wrist and twisted, sitting up with a fist pulled back before another fit of coughing overwhelmed him. He clutched his chest and bent over, trying to get air into his aching lungs.

"Try this." A black mask with fine mesh vents on either side appeared in his vision.

Zane looked up at the owner of the hand. Dark hair, maybe about Kelly’s age, handsome in a sort of innocent way. “Who are you?” he managed to get out before another fit of coughing made him sink to his knees. Fucking hell, this hurt. He was going to crack a rib if this kept up.

"My name is Ryan. Put this on and you’ll be able to breathe, I promise."

Zane squinted at Ryan, trying to judge the guy’s sincerity. He didn’t see any malice in the other man’s eyes so he grabbed the mask and pressed it to the lower half of his face. It covered his nose and mouth, mimicking the shape of a handkerchief triangle. As soon as he took a breath through it, the air was cold and eased the burn in his lungs. He frowned.

Ryan sat in a chair, rubbing his wrist where Zane grabbed him. “It has special filters that clean the air and cool it so it helps with the acid damage in your lungs. Doesn’t burn as much, does it?”

Zane shook his head, taking slow breaths until his brain started to clear and the pain transitioned from a sharp burn to a dull ache. “Thank you,” he said hoarsely, his voice a little muffled by the mask.

Ryan nodded with a shy smile and handed him a canteen. “You can keep the mask. It was an extra.”

Zane accepted the canteen gratefully. The water went a long way to easing the burn in his throat. His mouth, nose, throat, and chest felt as though they’d been scraped raw then set on fire. The water and the mask helped immensely, but a part of him worried about the lasting damage of the Acid Smoke. How much got into his system? His brain? His lungs?

"I tested your blood while you were out." Ryan seemed to read his thoughts. "You inhaled enough to damage your lungs, but you only absorbed a tiny amount into your bloodstream. Enough to give you a headache for a few days but your brain should stay intact."

"What about my lungs?" Zane was more concerned with his ability to breathe than with this stranger taking blood from him.

For now.

Ryan bobbed his head from side to side. “Time will tell. You’ll probably have some scarring. The mask seems to help so I’d suggest wearing that for a little while at least. Give your lungs a fighting chance to heal without having to deal with all the normal shit in the air.”

"Did you rescue me?"

Ryan gave him an elegant shrug. “I did.”

Zane frowned, but Ryan didn’t divulge any more. He looked around. They were in a small room, maybe what moderately passed for a studio apartment based on the fact that there was a stove in one corner and a toilet in another. It was run-down but clean. Heavy drapes blocked the only window, but Zane thought he heard the distant sound of a train whistle.

He rubbed his forehead. “How long have I been out?”

"Just under a day. You mumble in your sleep." Ryan grinned. "Who’s Ty?"

Zane arched an eyebrow at him. “Someone I need to get in contact with. Do you have a radio or a computer?”

Ryan pointed to the corner. “Didn’t mean to pry. Take your time.”

Zane immediately felt guilty. “Sorry. I just…”

Ryan shook his head and stood. “No worries. I’m just glad you’re alive. I’ll go find us some food.”

Zane started to move to the radio in the corner. “Where am I anyway?”

Ryan blinked at him then smiled. “South Central Texan States. Coordinates are next to the machine.”

Zane swallowed a curse and forced a smile. “Thanks.” He sat down to the radio and, after some fiddling, managed to key in the frequency for Deuce’s shop. He left a coded message with Livi and switched the radio off. Now, all he could do was wait. Deuce would get the coordinates to Ty and, hopefully, they’d come get him soon. Until then, he was stuck here.

In the Texan States, a place he’d avoided for nearly twenty years.

With damaged lungs.

_Fuck._

~*~

Zane focused on the cool air filtering through his mask as he sat at the table in the main cabin. Ty sat next to him, fidgeting with his hook and glowering at the room full of mercenary captains. The room was so thick with bravado and ego it made Zane claustrophobic. Ava was one of three women in the room. The other eight men were far more interested in comparing dick size than actually forming any plan of attack.

Ty rubbed his forehead. “Can I shoot them?” he asked behind his hand.

Zane smiled behind his mask and knocked his knee against Ty’s under the table. “Not today, doll.”

Barnum picked his head up from where he lay on the floor next to Ty’s chair and made a rumbling noise at the room.

Ty made a derogatory noise and stood. “Okay, everyone shut up and sit down.”

The cabin seemed surprised into silence. It was all Zane could do to keep from laughing at the looks on everyone’s faces.

"Who the fuck put you in charge?" easily the largest man in the room barked.

Ty sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You did, asshole, when you all agreed that the captains of Airship Sidewinder would lead this handbasket to hell.”

The guy frowned and eyed Ty up and down. “You’re the captain of Airship Sidewinder? Kinda runty, ain’t ya.”

Ty bristled and reached for his gun. Barnum lurched to his feet with a growl. Zane stood fluidly, grabbing Ty on the shoulder and pulling his own gun. He leveled it at the pirate. “Say that again. I dare you.”

"Who are you, his wife?" The guy didn’t even flinch. If anything he looked bored.

"Can I shoot him now?" Ty asked, his voice low and deadly.

"Nope." Zane lowered his gun and shot the man in the thigh. The man howled and buckled, hitting one knee on the floor.

No one batted an eye. Mercenary politics at their finest.

"Jerk," Ty muttered. He rested a hand on Barnum’s head.

"You can shoot the next one that threatens my honor," Zane replied quietly. He moved his gun so he was aiming at the man’s other leg. "Three choices: Leave. Shut the fuck up. I shoot your other leg."

The man scowled at Zane, his face turning red and nostrils flaring. Zane tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make me count to three. It’s so childish.”

The man cursed under his breath and hobbled to a chair. Ty flipped open a comm box. “Doc!”

"Yo!"

"Zane shot someone in the leg."

"That isn’t the best way to make friends, Zane."

A few of the others laughed. Even Zane chuckled. “Thanks, Kelly, I’ll keep it in mind.”

Ty grinned. “Can you get your kit and come up to the main cabin?”

"On my way."

Ty snapped the box shut and flopped back in his chair. He thunked his boots on the table and crossed his ankles, smirking at the room. “Right. So, in case it wasn’t clear, I’m Captain Ty Grady. This is Captain Zane Garrett. This is our ship. Disrespect it or us or my crew and you’ll be shot. Got it?”

He got a few grumbled assents. A few of them nodded, trying to hide amused grins. Ava rolled her eyes. Zane folded his arms and remained standing, his gun still firmly in hand. Barnum sat next to Ty’s chair, his blue eyes fixed on the captain Zane shot. Ty tipped his hat at an angle and traced the wood grain designs on the arms of his chair. “We’re all here because we’re being targeted. There’re twelve merc crews left and, while I think some of you are assholes,” he glared at Big and Ugly, “I don’t like hearing about attacks on mercs. We have good men and women on these boats.”

The door opened and Kelly poked his head in. Ty pointed at the wounded pirate and continued, “Everyone here was contacted by the Baron to retrieve parts of what we all now know is a massively lethal bomb. The payload on this baby could easily wipe out a province. Since being hired, all of us have been attacked in some way.” His gaze flickered to Kelly’s goggles and wrist cuffs. He cleared his throat. “Three other crews have been wiped out completely. Some of you have lost men.” He glanced at Ava. “Which is why we’re here. Someone has infiltrated our crews somehow. We also need to get the rest of the bomb parts. Unless some of you have already procured them.”

"Why do you want the parts?" Ava asked.

"So we can destroy them," Zane said evenly.

He was met with loud cries of objection.

"Why would we destroy such a powerful weapon? With that we could—"

"We could what, exactly?" Ty dropped his feet to the ground and leaned forward. "Threaten the nobility? Wage war on governments? What happens when they send out their armies? It’s one bomb. Yeah we could do a fuck ton of damage, but it’s _one bomb_.”

Ava tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Then we make more.”

"How many would make you happy? Make you feel safe when the world finds out what we own?" Zane snorted. "Ten? Twenty? A hundred? We’re ghosts. We make a living being the shadows in a crowd."

"Which is why you two tore up Morocco ten days ago in a motorcycle chase," a tall woman in the corner piped up.

Ty smiled pleasantly. “Wasn’t us.”

"Bullshit," Ava spat.

"Prove it," Ty snarled back.

"Both of you, hush." Zane rubbed his forehead. He opened his mouth to say more but was cut off as a series of booms split the air, the reverberations so close, their ship shuddered.

"What the hell?" Ty bolted from his chair and ran out the door, followed by the other captains.

Four wind riders swooped overhead, their drivers masked. They banked and made another pass, dropping objects onto the now-burning decks of four ships—two in the sea and two hovering overhead. Explosions filled the air followed by groaning and cracking. One of the sea bound ships seemed to implode on herself, her middle collapsing in a mass of wood, metal, fire, and frothing water.

They watched in helpless horror as the fire turned to hissing jets of steam as the ocean claimed the great vessel and all her inhabitants.


	13. Doppelgänger

Kelly gripped the ship’s railing, his fingernails digging into the soft wood so hard his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sinking ship, his mind spinning with visions of death and destruction. His bare toes flexed on the worn wooden boards of the deck and he eyed the churning water, trying to calculate the right timing between being sucked under by the sinking ship and being able to find survivors.

"Are you about to do what I think you’re about to do?" Ash’s voice was low as he stood next to Kelly, his dark eyes darting over the wreckage.

"Probably." Kelly reached behind his neck and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to one side.

"All right then." Ash mimicked the movement and also toed off his boots.

"What are you doing?" Kelly frowned.

"You playing the lone hero?" Ash smirked at him, grasped the railing, and vaulted over it toward the dark water below.

Kelly shook his head with a grin and followed, ignoring the shouts of the others as they finally noticed what he was up to. Nick might give him an earful—not because he was in the water playing rescue but because he was in the water playing rescue with fucked up eyes.

He flipped over into a dive, slicing into the water cleanly, his momentum carrying him down several feet before he evened out. Sound fell away to nothing and the world washed dark blue. His vision outlined everything in blue, purple, and white lines. The sunlight filtered through as he kicked his way back to the surface. He spotted Ash’s lithe form cutting through the waves on the way to the sinking ship.

Kelly broke the surface of the water, gulped in a lungful of air, and dove under again. He pushed toward the wreck, spotting several bodies in the water—some struggling, some not. His heart squeezed painfully. He reached the few that were struggling and helped them to the surface, finding pieces of driftwood to cling on while rescue boats launched. He and Ash held back as the water around the sinking ship churned, pulling everything nearby underneath with it.

A large piece of the ship broke away from the main wreckage with a deafening crack, flipped over, and bobbed like a cork. When they were sure it wasn’t going to sink, Kelly and Ash swam toward it. They paused outside the hull.

"Search inside?" Ash pushed his hair out of his face.

Kelly nodded. “Looks like we’ll have to go under.”

Ash looked back at Sidewinder. “You guys have lifeboats?”

"Wind riders. But it looks like they do." He pointed to one of the other merc ships. Small, white rowboats were being lowered into the water.

"Right. Here goes." With a cheeky smirk and a wink, Ash dove under again. Kelly took a deep breath and followed, kicking hard as he swam down along the curve of the hull. The pressure in his ears built as went deeper, searching for a way in. He finally found a section blown out. He swam inside and kicked up, hoping there was a pocket of air somewhere. Find that first for when he actually needed it. He swam slowly, looking around for anyone trapped or signs of life other than Ash.

The pocket of air sat in what was once the landing of a stairwell. It was open enough that his shoulders broke the water before his head hit the top. He treaded water and ducked underneath again, getting Ash’s attention. He pointed to his chest and his nose and then straight up, signaling to Ash where the air was. Ash gave him a thumbs up and swam off. Kelly was torn between sticking with Ash in case something happened and going in the opposite direction in order to search quicker. He made a snap decision and kicked after Ash.

The first two bodies they came across were already dead. Kelly growled out his frustration in the water and shoved off, swimming deeper into the wreckage. He found another air pocket, this one only big enough for his face, and then swam into what was the cargo area. Barrels and crates bobbed around, creating a mine field of debris that tried to snatch at their pants and rake across their skin.

A hand grabbed his ankle. He spun around, expecting to see Ash, but it was a sailor pinned under wreckage. Kelly froze as the man struggled and clawed at him. Ice formed in his chest. How had this guy survived without air this long?

Ash appeared, saw the guy, and swam toward him. Alarms went off in Kelly’s head when the sailor’s eyes flashed purple and he grabbed Ash around the throat. Kelly kicked out of the man’s grip and grabbed the guy’s arm, trying to pry his fingers off Ash’s throat. Ash kicked at the sailor’s face, but it didn’t make any difference. Ash’s face grew red then started to pale, his movements slowing and his mouth working.

Kelly pulled a knife from the sheath strapped to his calf and stabbed the man through the neck.

The purple eyes flared bright then flickered out and the sailor slumped over. Kelly grabbed Ash around the chest and kicked away hard, pulling him to the nearest air pocket. There was only enough room for one of them so Kelly pushed Ash up into it, praying he was alert enough to breathe. After the longest, most eternal three seconds of Kelly’s life, Ash jerked and flailed, his foot narrowly missing Kelly’s groin. Kelly swam backward out of reach, his chest beginning to burn but he wanted to make sure Ash was okay.

When he was just about to tackle Ash out of the air pocket, Ash pushed down into the water and moved out of the way. Kelly swam up, his lungs exploding in the small space with gasping and sputtering. He took a few deep breaths and dove under, heading straight for the automaton. Ash followed, looking a little pale but otherwise all right. Together, they freed the body from the wreckage and swam for the surface.

Kelly recognized the tattoos of the arm that leaned over the edge to help him up. He grinned up at Nick. “Hey, babe.”

"Hi, nice swim?" Nick’s smile was easy but his eyes darted all over Kelly’s person, checking for injuries as Kelly dripped all over the deck.

"Fantastic. Water’s warm. Only survivor in the actual wreck we found was that thing." He gestured to the automaton that the others were pulling over the railing. "And it tried to kill Ash. So I killed it. But we rescued some other guys." He waved a hand toward the lifeboats dotting the surface of the ocean.

Ash clambered over the railing with help from Ty and Zane and sunk to the deck, his chest heaving and water streaming down his person.

"Fuck, you okay?" Ty squatted in front of Ash.

Ash nodded and coughed. “Kelly stabbed him.”

"You stabbed my crewman?" The same big guy who Zane had shot earlier boomed, his face red with rage.

Kelly snorted. “Your automaton malfunctioned and attacked him. It was the robot or my friend.”

The captain frowned. “This is Perrimore. He’s a member of my crew and not a robot.”

Kelly blinked at him. “I’m sorry?”

"He’s not an automaton."

Everyone stilled and looked at the body sprawled on the deck. Kelly frowned, his nerves still jangled from the underwater encounter. Had he imagined the purple eyes? His vision was still fucked up. He looked at Nick. “I know what I saw.”

Nick squeezed his shoulder. “I believe you. Hang on.” He pulled out a switchblade and knelt next to the body.

"What are you—" The captain broke off in shock as Nick widened the neck wound and pulled the skin back, revealing dark red goo, metal, and pistons. Nick smiled thinly at the captain and wiped his knife on his pants as he stood. Kelly nearly sagged in relief. He wasn’t going crazy.

"Automaton." Nick pointed. He looked at Ty. "Same red shit as the Baron."

Ty frowned. “And you didn’t know he was clockwork?”

The captain shook his head, still staring at the body. “I swear on the air, we had no idea.”

"I think we just figured out how the crews have been infiltrated," Ava murmured.

"Fuck," Zane growled.

Kelly swallowed hard. If someone on each crew had been replaced with an automaton double then that meant someone on Sidewinder…He couldn’t bear to complete the thought. He moved closer to Nick, chills racing over his body and making him shake. Nick frowned and shucked his jacket, wrapping it around Kelly’s shoulders. He left his arm around Kelly and Kelly did his absolute damnedest to push out of his head that Nick could be synthetic.

Or himself. What if he was and he didn’t know it? That would explain his eyes more than anything.

_Oh fuck._

He glanced at Ash, who was staring at the body, his shoulders and chest still hitching while he tried to regain his breath. Ash glanced at Kelly, his eyes wide and filled with the fear Kelly felt.

Any one of them could be clockwork.

Any one of them could be a killer.

~*~

After checking on Elias, Nick made sure Kelly went to their cabin for rest. The fact that Kelly didn’t protest showed how shaken up he was over the turn of events. He was proud of Kelly for jumping in the water for rescue. But he was really damn tired of folks getting attacked. It took every ounce of willpower not to follow Kelly into that cabin and curl around him.

He made his way down to his shop, bypassing the cabin where all the captains were gathered arguing.

Again.

Nick didn’t envy Ty and Zane and this whole armada bullshit. He liked it better when Sidewinder was a ship of ghosts. When they were largely unknown and more rumor than anything else. He was going to vote leaving this side of the globe for good once all these fucking shenanigans were done.

He’d pulled armada rank and insisted the automaton be taken to his shop so he could inspect it. When he was challenged and accused of being one of them, he’d sliced his forearm without hesitating and showed them human blood and muscles. He wasn’t a fucking clockwork soldier.

Neither was anyone on his crew.

He took the steps to the underdeck two at a time, jumping the last three, and jogged to his shop. “Deuce!”

Deuce looked up from the worktable. “Everything okay?”

"Nope." Nick shut the door and filled him in on what happened.

"Christ, is Kelly all right?"

Nick nodded and paced, running his hands through his hair.

"Hey." Deuce threw a rag at him. "Tie that off before you bleed to death."

Nick wrapped his arm. “We need a way to identify the other automatons.”

Deuce motioned to Nick’s arm. “Seems like you figured one out.”

Nick shook his head. “If any of those captains are gearheads then that card is burned. They’ll let the others know.” He rubbed his thumb across his lower lip. “Can you find their network?”

Deuce ran a hand over his head. “Maybe. But if you’re talking bots that don’t know they’re bots, there might not be a network until they’re activated. By then, it would be too late.”

"How can someone be clockwork and not know it?"

Deuce shook his head, his frown pulling the human-looking side of his face down. The sight was something out of a horror novel. He watched a few clockwork spiders work their way across the table. “You’d have to do some major work on their memory systems, right?”

"D, I just play with gears. This is way above my pay grade." Nick leaned against the wall. He scratched the clockwork owl across her head. She leaned into the gesture. It oddly reminded him of Kelly.

Deuce laughed. “You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for, O. All right, in order to pass off a gearhead as a person, you’d need two things—access to a full life of memories and a way to switch between those and their bot status.”

"That…sounds like a lot." Nick scrubbed a hand down his face. "And complicated."

Deuce nodded. “Extremely. We’re talking pre-technology ban.”

Nick snorted. “The only people that ban affected were folks like us.”

"That’s usually the point." Deuce laced his fingers behind his head. "So, you’d need access to pre-ban technology first."

"Who would have that?"

"Anyone in power. Just pass it down generation to generation."

"But who would use this to target merc crews?" Nick rubbed the back of his neck.

Deuce held up his mechanical hand and ticked off his fingers. “Someone who wants the bomb and, therefore, power. Someone who’s afraid of the mercs. Someone who has a grudge.”

Nick thudded his head against the wall. “Well, that narrows it down to pretty much everyone in a seat of power.”

Deuce’s chuckle had a mechanical grate to it. “True. But, the kicker is, you’d also need access to the mercs in order to replace a member of their crew.”

"Or replace them in stages. Kidnap one, replace him or her, use that one to get information and systematically work your way through the crews."

Deuce pointed at him. “Bingo.”

Nick blew out a hard breath. “Well, that still doesn’t help us identify who’s clockwork.”

They fell silent as each of them ran through the problem in their own head. Deuce looked around the shop. “If they’re pre-ban androids then they could be shut down automatically.”

Nick raised his eyebrows. “How?”

"Weak enough EMP to make their fail-safes kick in."

"English, D."

Deuce chuckled. “Okay, you set off an EMP, an electro-magnetic pulse. It would disrupt anything electronic in a certain radius. Too strong and you damage them permanently. But if you set off a weak one, the AI would think it was under attack and shut down to preserve its systems.”

"Do all of them have that?"

Deuce nodded. “Unless whoever is building them changed that. In any case, it would knock them out for a bit.”

Nick frowned. “What about you? Wouldn’t it affect you?”

"I’ll shut down manually and stay down here. It’s a risk but I might be able to make it through the pulse intact. Or you get to fix me again."

"What about all our clockwork shit on the boat?"

"If it doesn’t use electricity, it should be okay."

"Should be."

Deuce shrugged and grinned.

Nick groaned. “Kelly will kill me if something happens to Cecily.”

"You can build him a new one." Deuce pulled Ty’s hand to himself again.

"Yeah, no. You don’t understand the level of adoration he has for that damn thing. It’d be like killing his child."

"AI assassins or potentially angry boyfriend? Besides, I’m fairly certain all your clockwork minions will be fine."

Nick thought for a long moment. Finally, he shoved off the wall and approached the table. “Okay, let’s build it.”


	14. When Clouds Bring Ships Instead of Rain

_2349: Britannia_

"We’re going to steal a ship."

Zane blinked at Ty. “I’m sorry, I thought you said we were going to steal a ship.”

Ty grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet, his hazel eyes taking on a maniacal gleam. “I did.”

"Uh-huh." Zane folded his arms and peered critically at his lover. "Like a wind rider?"

"Or a speedboat?" Nick ventured from his perch on a railing.

"More like a rowboat probably," Kelly snickered as he insinuated himself between Nick’s knees and leaned back against his chest.

Nick laughed and draped an arm over Kelly’s shoulder. “D, you should sit this out. You could short circuit in the water.”

Deuce shook his head, grinning.

Kelly brightened. “Hey, if we throw you in the water, would you kill all the fish?”

"You want to sacrifice Deuce for fishing?" Zane arched an eyebrow.

Kelly schooled his features. “Oh. Right.”

"Hey, I’m having a brilliant moment here." Ty kicked out at Kelly’s legs from his stool on the balcony they were currently occupying. "I mean one of those." He pointed toward the sky where three massive airships sullenly shouldered through the morning fog.

Zane groaned as he looked up. He loved Ty. Loved him with every part of himself. The last two years had been more than amazing once they got past the mutual animosity and trying to kill each other bit.

But Ty was going to drive him batshit crazy with his reckless schemes.

"Ty, no."

"What?" Ty had the nerve to sound affronted. "I have a plan."

"Like you had a plan to steal the African Premier’s gate guards so Deuce could have brothers?" Zane asked.

"Or hijack the Princess of Amsterdam’s train so we could travel in style?" Nick added.

"What about the President’s herd of automaton horses?" Kelly offered.

Ty pointed at him. “That almost worked. Besides, I got a cool hat out of the deal.” He adjusted his hat, pulling one side low over his face like a villain out of a horror movie. The sunlight hit his eyes and made them glow gold for a moment.

"You grabbed it as we were running for our lives," Zane answered flatly.

Ty shrugged and waved a hand. “We want to be a real merc crew, right?”

"We are a real merc crew," Deuce said.

Ty shook his head. “We’re kids for hire.”

Zane cleared his throat. “I thought anything over twenty was old.”

"My point," Ty glared at Zane, "is that no one takes us seriously. But if we had a ship and actual ranks, maybe a few more men, we’d be solid. We could go after the bigger jobs and the bigger payouts."

"So you want to steal an airship." Nick blinked at him.

Ty nodded.

"And become pirates."

Ty nodded again, his eyes dancing. Nick stared at him, his expression that of someone torn between groaning and laughing.

"Do you have one picked out?" Kelly asked, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Ty grinned.

"Oh gods, you do have one picked out." Zane rubbed his face.

Ty stood and leaned on the railing of the balcony, squinting at the airship docks lining the bay. “That one.” He pointed.

"Which one?" Nick twisted around.

Kelly unpeeled himself from Nick and turned around to look. He stepped back into the shadow of the balcony’s roof and pushed his glasses up into his hair. “Whoa, really?”

"The dark red one?"

Kelly nodded.

Ty leaned against the wall. “Yep, that one.”

"Wait, which one?" Zane moved to the railing.

Kelly pointed. “Fifth from the right, top level. The red and gold two-story one with the wonky balloon.”

"The balloon’s not wonky," Ty protested.

Kelly snorted. “I don’t think there’s a name for that balloon’s shape. There’s so many ropes woven around it to secure it to the second level.”

"I dunno." Nick tilted his head to one side. "It kinda looks like a slug."

"Maybe a dinosaur?" Deuce offered.

Zane stared at Ty. “Why that one?”

Ty shifted and shrugged. “I like the way it looks.”

"Ty."

Ty sniffed and looked away, one foot tapping out some beat only he could hear.

"Beaumont." Nick folded his arms.

Ty rolled his eyes. “Fine, it’s the Baron’s ship.”

Silence.

Deuce shook his head. “My hearing must be malfunctioning. You want to steal the Baron of Britannia’s airship?”

"He has ten of them." Ty met all their incredulous stares defiantly.

"Is that one the biggest?" Zane asked quietly.

The tip of Ty’s tongue poked between his teeth as he grinned and nodded, the crazy gleam lighting his eyes again.

Zane pinched the bridge of his nose. “Christ, Tyler.”

"Go big or go home," Kelly murmured as he slid his glasses down again.

They stared at the ship. Zane couldn’t help but admire the sleek curve of her hull or the way the lower half mimicked a pirate ship straight out of the history books. He’d never admit it to Ty, but he was having a bit of a nerdgasm as he traced her lines all the way up to the mermaid masthead.

She really was a beautiful ship.

"She’s red." Nick frowned. "She’ll stick out anywhere."

"We’ll paint her black. And we’ll change her masthead." Ty waved a hand impatiently.

Black. A black airship. One that would swallow light and hide in the clouds. Zane couldn’t deny the thrill of anticipation that ran through him at the thought.

"Sidewinder," Ty murmured.

"What?" Zane asked.

"That’s what I’m naming her. Sidewinder."

No one asked him where he’d gotten the name or why.

"Are we really considering doing this?" Kelly breathed. Excitement and hesitation laced his words.

Nick nodded. “We’ve attempted crazier.”

"We’ll need more guys," Zane said, surprised he was actually spinning ideas in his head of how to pull this off.

Ty smiled. “I think I know some folks.” He spun away, heading back into the apartment and grabbing his duster.

"No one you’ve slept with!" Zane hollered after him.

"That really narrows it down, Garrett." Nick laughed.

"Like you’re one to talk," Kelly snorted.

Nick shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “And?”

"Whore," Kelly managed to mutter before Nick crowded him against the balcony railing and kissed him.

Zane shook his head and went back into the apartment. He had no idea, nor did he care, who the apartment belonged to. The owners were on vacation in another province and it provided a roof and four walls while they completed a job. He frowned as he watched Ty pat his pockets. “Hey.”

Ty raised his eyebrows without looking up to indicate he was listening.

Zane rolled his eyes and crossed the room, grasping Ty’s chin when he could. “You sure about this?”

Ty’s grin grew soft. “Yes. I mean, it’s probably a horrible idea as a lot of them are, but yes.” He sighed and glanced out at the balcony where the others were then back to Zane. “We pull this off, we can have a better life. No more stealing people’s houses or apartments to have a roof over our heads. No more taking the shit jobs that barely buy us enough food. We’ll have a ship, Zane, a _home_.”

Something twisted in Zane’s chest and he swallowed. He knew Ty and Nick had grown up on the streets together. Something had happened to Kelly that made him skittish and twitchy whenever they were in Britannia. Hell, Zane himself had lived in boxcars since he was sixteen, jumping from train to train and ship to ship to make his way from the Americas to Europe. He had to admit, the thought of having a place to call home again was highly appealing, especially if it was with Ty. At thirty, Zane was too old to be living on the streets. Life was cut short down here. Exhaustion crowded around the edges of his bones.

Ty stepped closer, sliding his hands around Zane’s waist. “Trust me?”

Zane ducked his head and brushed his lips against Ty’s. “Always.”

Ty smiled against Zane’s mouth and curved one hand around the back of Zane’s neck, deepening the kiss. He nipped at Zane’s lips and licked at his teeth. A pleasant warmth spread through Zane. Not a _oh god we need to get to the bedroom now_ warmth, but more of a _what the fuck did I do right to deserve him_ warmth. It made him light-headed, and he tightened his hold.

"You four are lucky I’m a robot or I’d be puking at the making out going on right now." Deuce’s voice moved from the balcony, through the room, and into the back.

Ty broke away with a laugh. Zane smiled and spun Ty toward the door before he dragged him to the bedroom. He swatted Ty’s ass. “Go. Get your pirate crew.”

Ty winked at him and disappeared, leaving Zane with a pleasant hum in his body and an odd sense of foreboding in his chest.

Clouds covered the moon, throwing the streets into near darkness save the occasional pool of light from a flickering gas lantern. Kelly led the way through the avenues, his special eyes catching every obstacle and spotting every person well before they hit it. The three guys Ty had returned to the apartment with seemed to know their shit, immediately offering up suggestions when Ty outlined his idea to steal the ship. Digger favored explosions over everything and, as alarming as the gleam in his dark eyes was, his plan was pretty solid. Owen Johns, a skinny guy who never smiled, knew computers and engines better than anyone Zane’d ever met. Elias Sanchez laughed with his entire body and proposed several stealth ideas that had Zane wondering if someone in his family had ever worked in the military.

Zane had to admit he was impressed with their ideas, but he was still reserving judgment until after the job was completed.

Even if Ty had assured him over and over he’d never slept with any of them.

The airship in question sat moored at the topmost level of the docks, her engines steadily thrumming to keep her afloat. Ty and Kelly had done surveillance earlier that afternoon and reported guards on the ground at the elevator, on the top level outside the ship, and at least four on the ship itself. Digger left for a few hours to complete his part of the scheme which involved various things that went boom.

Fun times.

The two guards at the base of the elevator were easy. Nick and Ty moved in unison, sneaking through the shadows and applying choke holds. They hid the slumbering guards behind a stack of crates. The group boarded the elevator silently and rose into the air. Zane grabbed the crank and stopped the lift two levels below the top. He nodded to Kelly and Owen. “See you up top.”

Kelly grinned and slipped out. He grabbed the railing and swung himself onto the outside of the elevator shaft, his body hanging over free air. Owen mimicked the movement on the other side. The darkness swallowed them both as they began to climb.

Zane waited a few minutes before restarting the elevator. They rose steadily to the top, bracing themselves for anything on the other side of the doors. Zane palmed two knives while Ty slipped a gun out of his thigh holster and leveled it at the doors. Zane heard knuckles crack behind him.

The elevator jolted to a stop, the doors waiting a heartbeat before sliding open.

Kelly leaned on the railing, arms folded over his chest. “Took you long enough.”

Owen stepped out of the shadows, smoothing his shirt. He cracked his neck. “Ready?”

Zane wondered if Owen ever smiled.

Ty stepped out and led the way down the metal bridge to the ship. His duster flapped behind him in the cold wind that whipped up from the bay. The lamps along the bridge cast the group in alternating slices of amber and nothing. Eight sets of boots thudded along the metal slats, sending ominous vibrations down the bridge to the ship. Eight sets of boots turned into five as they moved through the shadows. Zane felt Nick tense next to him as, once again, Kelly melted into the shadows to play monkey. This time, Deuce and Owen vanished as well.

"We’ve been spotted," Sanchez murmured.

"Yep." Ty pulled his other gun from his thigh holster and held them both up. "Don’t even think about it," he growled to the two men standing at the railing where the bridge joined the ship. He kept walking, stepping over the railing and landing with a thud onto the deck. "Hey, boys."

"Who the fuck are you?" One of the men growled, his rifle aimed at Ty’s head.

"Your new captain. Unless you want to leave. Last chance."

The men started laughing.

"You picked the wrong ship to hijack, boy."

Ty smiled slowly, his eyes glowing in the lamplight. “No, I picked precisely the ship I wanted, old man.”

Zane stepped forward. “We can do this two ways. One, we throw you overboard. Two, you leave quietly.”

"Or, three, we blow your brains out and throw your bodies into the bay."

"I don’t recall that being an option," Nick drawled. "Garrett, was that on your list of options?"

"Definitely didn’t say that." Zane tapped the flat of a knife against his lips.

"We have a gun bigger than you trained on your head right now," one of the guards smiled smugly.

"You mean this one?" Kelly’s voice drifted down from the second level.

Zane barked a laugh at Kelly straddling the barrel of the massive chain gun bolted to a balcony on the second level. His eyes gleamed from even this far away and his bare feet swung free. Nick grinned broadly. “Nice job, monkey!”

Kelly gave an exaggerated bow, his evil cackle carrying over the ship.

The guards looked momentarily stunned before the one who seemed to be their leader sneered. “An alarm will be raised.”

Digger laughed darkly. “Good luck hearing it.” He held up a small copper box and flicked a switch with his thumb. Smaller skiffs and wind riders scattered throughout the docks exploded in balls of orange and red fury. Debris shot into the air, flaming pieces flipping end over end, and landed on other ships—in their sails, on their balloons, on their decks. Cloth caught fire and spread, jumping from ship to ship and climbing its way up the docks.

As the explosions lit the sky, Zane moved quickly, attacking and subduing one of the surprised guards while the rest moved as he did. The engines rumbled under their feet, revving up, and Zane smiled. Owen and Deuce had reached the engine room safely.

Gunshots rang out, bullets pinging the deck where they stood.

"Oh, hell no. They are not blowing holes in my ship," Ty growled.

Zane grabbed the back of Ty’s collar and pushed him down behind a barrel as bullets sprayed across the deck. They heard a cry from the second level.

"Oh shit." Zane looked over as Nick visibly bristled and took off running. Zane pointed at Sanchez and Digger. "Stay by the bridge in case more guards come. Hold them off until we get this thing in the air."

They nodded and took up sheltered positions by the docking bridge. Ty and Zane ran toward the rigging that led to the second level. It was a complicated weave of ropes and cables, but it was secure. They were halfway up when more shots rang out. The rope next to Zane’s cheek split, whipping out at his eye. He ducked and it glanced off his temple. Pain flared on his arm as another bullet grazed his bicep. He growled and kept climbing.

The ship shuddered and started to move, her great bulk pulling away from the bridge. Zane reached the top deck railing and pulled himself over it, landing with a groan on the other side.

"You hit?" Ty’s hands ghosted over Zane’s arm.

"Graze. I’m okay." Zane snatched a rag from Ty’s pocket and held it out. "Tie it up. Let’s go."

Ty wrapped the wound, patted Zane on the hip, then took off at a jog. They followed the sound of gunfire and yelling. Zane palmed his knives and crouched at a corner, listening then peeking around to look. Nick and Kelly were pinned down on the far end of a balcony by three guards. He couldn’t see if either of them were hurt but no one was landing a shot.

"Can you hit them?" Ty whispered directly into Zane’s ear.

Zane nodded. “Two. Can you get the third?”

Ty nodded and raised his gun. He frowned, something dark ghosting through his eyes. Zane knew Ty had been hoping they could get through this without killing anyone, but he also knew that had been a pipe dream. Frankly, he was surprised they’d made it this far without any loss of life.

Zane cracked his neck once and jerked his chin at Ty. Ty stepped out and fired at the same time Zane snapped his wrists, sending two knives flying.

The three guards dropped like stones.

"About damn time!" Nick stood with Kelly’s arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Is he okay?" Zane retrieved his knives.

"I’m fine," Kelly grumbled. "He’s overreacting."

"You’re bleeding from three places," Nick retorted.

"Flesh wounds. Stop it." Kelly huffed and tried to push away from Nick.

The ship lurched and shuddered. Zane threw out a hand to steady himself. “The fuck?”

Ty’s eyebrows rose as he looked around. “Come on, baby, hold together.”

Somewhere nearby, a crackle burst into existence. “Right, so, if you can hear me, we’re still figuring out how to drive this thing. You might want to get inside or hang onto something. That is, if you guys are still alive up there.”

Ty spun around on his heel, looking for the source of the voice. “Owen? Where are you?”

"In the engine room, genius. They have comm boxes on this thing."

"Fancy," Ty muttered as he darted into the nearest cabin, looking along the walls for a box.

Zane helped Nick assist a protesting Kelly into the cabin. Kelly perked up when they got inside, a grin splitting his face. Which was a creepy sight given half of it was bloody from a cut above his eye. “I like this cabin. I want this cabin.”

Nick made a noncommittal noise as he hustled Kelly over to a bed in the corner. He pushed him down and yanked up Kelly’s shirt, searching for the source of blood.

"No, really, babe, I want this cabin. But can we make it bigger?"

"Whatever you want, Kels," Nick said patiently. His fingers skated over a slash about two inches long. "How deep is this?"

Kelly shrugged. “Not that deep. It’s not bleeding bad.”

"Kelly."

Kelly’s eyes went wide, which was almost comical given how bright they were. “I’m serious.” He grabbed Nick’s wrist, his voice losing all its humor. “It looks worse than it is. Trust me.”

"Aha!" Ty crowed from across the room. He swatted at a copper box mounted into the wall. "Can you hear me?"

"I could hear you the whole time," Owen deadpanned. "The line’s been open."

"Bite me, Johns."

"Bend over, captain," came the instant reply.

Nick snorted. Zane bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Kelly giggled and clutched his side.

Some muffled sounds came from the box. “Okay so,” Deuce’s voice crackled through. “We hacked into the engine systems down here and we have control of the ship.”

Ty grinned. “That is a beautiful thing, boys.” He turned away from the box right as Sanchez and Digger appeared in the doorway. “Welcome to Sidewinder.”

~*~

Ty rolled his shoulders as he leaned against the wall of Elias’ cabin. “Purple eyes?”

Elias nodded as he pulled on a clean shirt. His head was wrapped in a swath of bandages and Kelly had warned him against a lot of activity, but here he was getting dressed and making noises about helping. “That’s all I remember. Bright purple eyes.”

Ty rubbed his hook over his stubble. “The one Kelly killed in the water had purple eyes, too.”

"And looked like a crew member?"

Ty nodded, pushing away the terrifying implications of that statement. He couldn’t believe anyone on his crew was a gearhead. _He_ wasn’t. He’d watched Nick slice open his arm to prove himself yesterday and that churned his gut watching his childhood friend have to prove his humanity to a room full of pirates. Fuck, he’d grown up with Nick and Kelly. He and Zane had spent the last ten years sharing a bed. Digger, Elias, and Owen had been a part of Sidewinder for eight years now. These men were his family. The thought that one of them had either been replaced or, even worse, been one this entire time?

Fuck, just the thought made him want to throw up.

He looked at Elias, who watched him with a sympathetic frown. “Next time I agree to captain an armada, shoot me.”

Sanchez laughed. “Deal.” He followed Ty out of the cabin. “Where is everyone?”

Ty cracked his neck and spun his hook as he walked. “All the captains went back to their respective ships to quarantine their crews. Nick and Deuce are in super secret lock-down mode since last night. They have an idea about the automatons but won’t say anything. Kelly and Ash are climbing ropes somewhere with that damn pet of Kelly’s.” He stopped at the ship’s railing, taking in the ships and subs that dotted the flat ocean. Even the airships had landed. Debris from the sunken ship scarred the surface of the water, silently bobbing as a gentle reminder they weren’t safe. “Digger and Owen are working on the engines. They popped the rudder out of its housing this morning. Zane’s in the cabin working on…plans.” He waved his hand aimlessly in the air.

"Plans," Elias repeated.

Ty shrugged and blew out a breath. “Honestly? I didn’t pay attention.” He picked at a splinter in the railing. “I’m glad you’re okay, Eli.”

"Me too." He leaned his elbows on the railing. He was thinner and a little on the pale side from his ordeal but his eyes were bright and he seemed upbeat. Ty couldn’t bear to think what would have happened if they’d lost him.

"I’m going to find who attacked you," Ty said, his voice rough but steady. "And I’m going to put a bullet in their head."

Elias looked at him for a long moment. “Even if it’s one of us?”

Ty clenched his teeth and rolled his lips inward. He didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t deal well with betrayal on the best of days, but it being someone he considered family put one fucker of a kink into that way of thinking.

Elias patted Ty on the shoulder. “We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

"Ty!" Kelly’s voice drifted down from the rigging.

"What?" Ty craned his neck, spotting Kelly and Ash high above them near the balloon.

Kelly pointed toward the horizon. “Two airships and three wind riders heading straight for us. One of them is Warrior’s Cross.”

Ty squinted in the direction Kelly was pointing. He saw nothing. “Are you sure?”

"Ty." Kelly’s indignant tone floated down.

Ty growled and pushed away from the railing. He smacked open a comm box mounted to the outside of the main cabin. “Company!” He headed into the cabin with Elias on his heels. Zane was already standing and checking his knives. “Warrior’s Cross and some buddies,” he responded to Zane’s questioning look. “Kelly spotted them coming in from the west.”

"Spotted as in we have time?"

Ty nodded. “I couldn’t see them yet.”

The door to the cabin burst open and Nick came in carrying a bag. “You, sit.” He pointed at Ty.

"Excuse me?" Ty’s eyebrows flew up his forehead even as he moved to the indicated chair.

Nick pulled a gleaming silver hand from his bag. “You want this or not?”

"Fuck, Nick, I would express my undying love and affection for you but Zane’s watching." Ty’s elation made him lightheaded as he realized he would have two goddamn hands again.

Zane snorted a laugh and waved his hand. “I’m going to check on Digger and Owen. Just don’t make a mess.” He cupped Ty’s cheek and kissed him quickly, nipping at Ty’s lower lip as he pulled away. Ty ran his tongue over the bite and smiled, his heart beating a little faster. Ten years and Zane still gave him butterflies.

"Do I need to come back?" Nick pulled a chair out with his foot. Elias laughed and turned to follow Zane out the door.

"Hell no." Ty turned his attention away from his disappearing partner. He held out his hook. "Can you get them swapped out before our guests get here?"

Nick grinned. “We’re about to find out.”

"Where’s Deuce?" Ty watched Nick pop open a few panels on the mechanical arm and start disconnecting the hook.

Nick paused for a moment, a muscle on his jaw jumping. Ty arched an eyebrow. “Nick?”

Nick looked at him, the green of his eyes dark. “You cut yourself yet to make sure?”

Ty tilted his head to one side, examining his friend for a long time. He didn’t have to ask to what Nick was referring. It was on the tip of his tongue to protest but, hell, Nick had done it without flinching. He held out his human arm to Nick with a smirk. “Slash away, Irish.”

"I’m sorry." Nick frowned as he pulled a small knife from his bag.

Ty shook his head then hissed as the blade sliced across his forearm. Bright red blood pooled up and dribbled down the sides of his arm, following the hairs and imperfections in his skin. “Is that enough or do you need to peel it back and check for metal, too?”

Nick laughed but it sounded sad. “Nah, that’s good.” He pulled a rag out of his bag and tied off the cut. “Deuce is finishing up something that could trip the fail-safes in the bots. Basically knock them out.”

Ty blinked at him. “Is this what you’ve been locked in your shop working on all night?”

"Yep. It’s almost done. I was finishing this while he finished that then we were going to switch it on."

"And just see who keeled over?"

Nick nodded. “Better than asking everyone to slash themselves and risking one of them triggering and killing someone.”

"True." Ty frowned. "Does Kelly know about it?"

Nick shook his head as he threaded some wires in for the new hand. “He came to the shop last night looking for me. I told him I was staying up to finish this thing and that Deuce was helping me. Convinced him to go to bed. Don’t look at me like that.”

"Wasn’t look—"

"Yes, you were." Nick rolled his neck.

Ty traced the wood grain design in the table with one finger. “O, I have no idea what Kelly told you after you guys rescued us, but whatever it was flipped your guard dog switch big time. You have got to stop mothering him.”

"More relationship advice?"

Ty snorted. “You know Kelly’s a grown up. He’s still the same Kelly that’s been with us since we were thirteen. He’s scrappy and probably a little bit insane, but he can take care of himself.”

"I know," Nick said quietly. He connected a set of compressors inside Ty’s forearm. "I just…had no idea."

Ty was torn between respecting their privacy and asking for details. He sighed. “We’re all under a lot of stress. Loosen the choke hold on Kelly. You need him right now.”

"Yeah." Nick’s brows lowered. "Look, I’m building a machine that could knock out a member of this crew. Someone I’ve lived alongside for years. Someone I trusted. One of my _brothers_ , Ty.”

"You don’t think it’s Kelly, do you?" Jesus, the thought that it could be Zane made Ty want to scream.

Nick shook his head. “No. I mean…I’m praying to every god I can think of that it isn’t. But Deuce said the bot probably doesn’t even know. Something about programming. It really could be _any_ of us.”

"I know." Ty’s knee jumped erratically. He focused on Nick attaching the hand. "Anything cool with this thing?"

Nick snorted, clearly catching the blatant subject change but not commenting. “Not yet. I figured you’d want working fingers. I’ll put a gun in your wrist later. Just don’t nag me about it.”

"At least I got to gore someone with the hook."

"Little victories." Nick sat back. "Anything?"

Ty stared at his arm. His shoulder tingled where it joined the metal components. Sometimes, he swore he felt pain or temperature down his arm, but Kelly told him that was normal. Phantom limb.

Right now, the limb was mostly gleaming silver with a few copper panels and visible bronze gears. He lifted his arm and watched the fingers bend on his new hand. “Did Deuce help you with this?”

"Yeah, why?" Nick started closing the panels on Ty’s arm.

"Just looks a little like his."

"Brothers from another mother?" Nick grinned.

"Yeah, a toaster." Ty laughed.

Nick laughed, his eyes sparkling. Ty flexed the fingers into a fist then straightened them again. “This is great, O.”

"You may have to practice your dexterity for a while but it should be good to go." Nick packed up his tools. "I need to get back to Deuce."

Ty sobered. “Are you switching it on when you’re done?”

Nick nodded. “We’ll bring it up top first.”

"Hurry. Shit’ll be blowing up soon."

~*~

"Fuck, I lost the airships," Kelly growled as he swung across the rigging to another viewing angle. The two airships disappeared into the heavy cloud cover, the darkening peaks of an impending rain storm perfect for hiding. Sidewinder had used that trick plenty of times in the past.

Ash followed as fast as he could. “What about the sea ships?”

Kelly dropped his gaze to the horizon and made a frustrated noise. “They’re closer but there’s a storm kicking up. They’re using the waves for cover.” He blew out a breath and shoved his goggles up, swallowing the pained yell that wanted to claw up his throat. His eyes immediately teared up but he blinked it way and focused, breathing through the pain hammering back into his skull. His vision went completely white, then, as he blinked, details emerged and darkened into shapes and colors.

"Whoa…Kelly…" Ash sounded dumbstruck.

"Yeah, I know." Kelly ran the back of his hand over each eye to clear the tears and pulled as many details off the ships as he could. He glanced upward, gasping in pain as the clouds were no longer dark gray but solid white and glowing to his vision.

"Stop, you’re going to make it worse."

"No, I’m fine," he managed. He searched the clouds, trying to find a shadow his covered eyes had missed. Something. Anything.

"Kelly—" Ash’s sentence was cut off by a whistle.

"Oh shit," Kelly breathed as he found shadows in the clouds. But not the shadows he was looking for. "Fuck fuck fuck." He grabbed a rope and swung through the air, aiming for the crow’s nest. He overshot the railing and let go, landing in a heap on the tiny deck. He rolled, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and scrambled for the comm box. "Bombs!"

The whistling grew louder and the first of the bombs pierced the cloud cover, heading for the tiny armada.

Kelly heard a thump and turned to see Ash landing on the deck. “How good is your gun aim?”

Ash raised his eyebrows. “Are we skeet shooting?”

"With chain guns."

"Point me." Ash rolled up his sleeves and followed Kelly across the ropes and down to the second deck where the massive guns were mounted. There was one on each end.

Kelly made a sweeping gesture at it. “You need a spotter?”

Ash shook his head, the bead of his tongue stud poking out the side of his mouth. “Go get the other gun. Are these going to work against those?”

The first of the bombs splashed into open water, the explosions sending up jets of spray and waves that rippled outward toward the anchored ships.

Kelly slipped his goggles back on and shook his head. “I don’t know. But we can try, right?”

Ash pushed Kelly on the shoulder. “Go.”

Kelly backed away. “You get a clear shot at any of those ships…”

"I know how to shoot bad guys, Abbott." Ash grinned but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Kelly turned and jogged away, snatching Cecily off the railing. He paused at his cabin and tossed her gently on the bed. “Stay. I don’t want you getting hurt out here.” He shut the door before she could follow and headed toward the other gun at the far end. Behind him, successive reports came from Ash’s gun. He heard yells and gunfire from the main deck. Gunfire came from the other ships as the attacking sea ships and wind riders came into view.

He made sure the second chain gun was loaded before climbing onto the platform. The guns used to be the manual crank variety until Digger and Nick had spent a week straight overhauling them into automatics. The downside is they were louder and heavier, requiring a fair bit of muscle to keep steady. But, ever since the night Kelly had clambered onto the gun when they hijacked Sidewinder, he’d been in love with it.

More bombs pierced the cloud cover, followed by the underbellies of two big warships. Kelly ignored the bombs and focused on the belly he recognized. He spun off a spray that glanced off her nose but didn’t do much damage. Warrior’s Cross was still too far away. Bullets pounded the wall behind him and a wind rider streaked past. He followed, nicking the sails and sending the craft spiraling into the ocean.

Waves built from the successive explosions in the water, slamming into Sidewinder and pushing the ships dangerously close to each other. The other ships revved their engines and started moving away but they were too slow. Kelly watched helplessly as two other merc vessels slammed into each other. He pressed his tongue to his teeth as the high pitched squeal of metal on metal split the air.

An explosion overhead shifted the color of the sky from white to orange as a bomb hit Sidewinder’s balloon. The fabric ripped open, catching the wind. Flaming ropes whipped through the air, threatening to devour any cloth or wood they touched.

Kelly cursed and leapt up from the gun. He climbed onto the railing and caught the lip of the roof, pulling himself up with a grunt. He heard the faint crackle of a comm box but ignored it as he raced for the ropes securing the balloon to the ship. He pulled out a knife and started sawing.

"Cut the ropes?" Ash called from the far end.

Kelly nodded. “Before that pulls us over!” He jerked his chin at the ripped balloon, the tear growing wider as the incoming storm winds buffeted the hole.

Sidewinder started to list.

Ropes snapped under his and Ash’s efforts. Kelly caught movement out of his eye and saw Zane and Ty on another section, hacking away at ropes.

There were so many and the ship was already at a dangerous angle.

Snap.

Snap.

Snap.

Explosions lit up the sky and water from all directions. Ships fired on ships. A merc ship directly west of them erupted in twin balls of fire, her middle pummeled by two bombs, slicing her in half. One of the attacking ships burst into a ball of fire with a boom that hurt Kelly’s ears.

Kelly reached the last of the ropes, pulled tight by the injured balloon’s struggle to get free. He hacked at them, wrapping his arm around the railing as the ocean grew closer. “Hang onto something!”

The last rope snapped free, its end cutting across Kelly’s face. With nothing pulling it over, Sidewinder hurried to right herself, the ship flinging up violently. Kelly lost his grip and sprawled across the deck, sliding and slamming into the far side. He grabbed blindly, finding a post and hanging on for dear life as the ship tipped the opposite direction then swung back like a giant pendulum.

Twin explosions roared so close, he thought for a second their ship had been hit. But then he saw one of the attacking airships on fire. It wasn’t Warrior’s Cross, but it was crippled enough that it pulled up into the cloud cover and disappeared.

Ash cried out, his yell wordless and hoarse. Kelly pulled himself to his feet to investigate the source of the second nearby explosion. His heart fell to the deck.

The black hull of La Fée Verte caved in like it’d been punched by a giant. Flames billowed from her interior. Kelly raced down the deck and grabbed Ash around the waist as Ash started to climb over the railing. “No!”

"Let go of me!" Ash struggled. "That’s my crew!"

"It’s a fucking oven is what it is!" Kelly buried his face between Ash’s shoulder blades to protect it and held on for dear life as the man kicked and yelled and cussed. He knew the odds of anyone still alive in that sub were slim to none.

Another series of booms and a blast of heat had Ash freezing in Kelly’s grasp. Kelly already knew what he’d see when he raised his head but that still didn’t prepare him for the punch in the gut at the three twisted and blown apart pieces of the massive submarine. The water churned, hissing up great billows of steam as the roaring fires hit the ocean waves.

"Ash…" Kelly didn’t let go but he didn’t know what to say.

"Please let go of me," Ash said quietly.

Kelly stepped away and pressed his lips together. He stole a glance at Ty and Zane, who were watching the sub sink, twin expressions of sadness and horror on their faces. As much animosity that existed between Ava and the crew of Sidewinder, no one ever actually _wished_ the other person dead. The explosions and gunfire seemed muted as Kelly watched the sub disappear into the ocean. Ash’s breath came out in pained gasps. Kelly hesitated then gently laid his hand on Ash’s shoulder. Ash trembled, his face white, eyes black as pitch. He reached up and grabbed Kelly’s hand, squeezing hard.

"Let’s get down to the main deck," Kelly urged.

Ash nodded and let himself be pulled away.

Down on the deck, Ty turned away from Zane and grabbed Ash in a crushing hug. Ty’s face closed off in pain as he held the other man. He murmured something in Ash’s ear that made Ash laugh weakly and nod. Ty pulled away and held Ash’s shoulders. “You stay here as long as you want. If there’s a port you need to go to, tell us and we’ll take you.” Behind him, Zane nodded solemnly.

Ash sniffed and coughed. “Thanks, captain.”

Ty nodded jerkily and patted Ash on the cheek then moved away, his mouth in a thin line.

Nick rounded the corner of the cabin, a small box in his hand, and made a beeline for Kelly. “Fuck, are you okay?”

Kelly managed a nod, winding his arms around Nick’s waist and burying his face in his chest. Nick’s arms swept around him and held tight. “What happened?” he murmured in Kelly’s ear.

"Ava’s sub sank. Ash was here. But everyone else…" he couldn’t choke the words out.

"Fucking hell," Nick breathed.

Kelly jerked back, his gaze sweeping over Nick. “Are you okay? You were downstairs when the ship was tipping over.”

"I’m fine. Got beaned by some tools when everything rotated ninety degrees." He ran a thumb over Kelly’s cheek. "This might need stitches."

Kelly shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll look at it later.”

Nick held up the box and looked at Ty.

Ty nodded. “Do it.”

"Do what?" Kelly and Zane asked at the same time. Ash just stared at the box with a frown.

Nick rolled his shoulders and pressed a button. Ty shook his mechanical arm. “Well, that felt weird.”

Kelly was about to ask what just happened when he heard shouts of alarm from the surviving ships. The two remaining attacking wind-riders suddenly dropped out of the sky, plummeting into the ocean with great splashes.

The comm box crackled. “Hey guys?” Digger’s voice was full of confusion. “Something’s wrong with Owen. He just passed the fuck out.”


	15. Tin Man

Consciousness returned fast and bright. One moment nothing, the next moment, Owen was wide awake.

And confused.

And he felt weird.

"What’s going on?" he asked the ceiling. He tried to get up but couldn’t move.

"Hold still," came a murmured voice. Deuce’s half metallic skull, half human face drifted into his line of sight.

Again with the weird feeling in his head.

"What the fuck is going on?" Owen realized with a growing sense of panic that he was strapped down to a table. He pulled on the clamps around his wrists and ankles.

"That’s what I’d like to know," Ty’s voice growled from a corner.

Owen tried to turn his head toward Ty, but couldn’t move that either.

"Relax, please," Deuce said patiently. He looked over his shoulder. "Ty, stop it. He doesn’t know yet."

"I don’t know what exactly?" Anger burned hot and sharp in his body. He heard increased beeping somewhere off to his left. He pulled at the restraints, the metal cutting into his skin and sending flares of pain up his arms. "What the hell, Ty?"

"You’re honestly trying to tell me he has no idea?" Ty sounded furious and something else. Something Owen couldn’t put his finger on. Betrayed? Hurt?

Fuck, he was confused. Maybe this was a nightmare. Maybe he’d been knocked out during the battle and he was in some sort of nightmare scenario.

"No idea about what?" he bit out.

"Ty, no." Deuce straightened and held out a hand.

Ty appeared on the other side of the table. “About this, you fucking gearhead.” He held up a mirror and Owen’s eyes widened in horror.

One side of Owen’s scalp had been peeled away and a metal skull gleamed under the lights and the dark red goo. A panel was missing and Deuce’s fingers were inside Owen’s head.

"Dammit, Ty." Deuce smacked the mirror away. "Can you just wait a goddamn minute here?"

"What the fuck? What in the flying fuck is happening?" Owen yelled and struggled.

Deuce hissed out a string of curses. The jittery feeling in Owen’s head intensified and he tried to move away. Deuce grabbed Owen’s forehead and clamped down, holding Owen still with the force of his bare mechanical hand. “Almost…fuck, there.”

Owen heard a click and beep inside his own head. His vision washed purple.

And he remembered _everything_.

Images came fast, flickering like a movie reel that lost control. Human memories mixed with AI memories. It was like a dam broke in his head and everything came rushing out. He heard Ty and Deuce talking but they sounded far away and garbled. His own breathing roared in his ears, but that couldn’t be breathing, right? He was a machine, wasn’t he? But he had the memories of being a child. Of growing up. Of joining Sidewinder.

The roaring and rushing finally ebbed and his vision cleared. Memories clunked into place in their proper order, separating real from fake, fact from fiction.

"Oh holy fuck," he whispered.

"Owen?" Deuce appeared again. "You with us?"

"What’s your real name?" Ty snarled. "Who built you? Where’s Owen?"

"Ty." Deuce glared across the table.

"I am Owen," Owen gasped, still trying to make sense of everything filling his head.

"Ty, leave. Now." Deuce disappeared and Owen heard cussing and protesting and scuffling. A door slammed and silence filled the room.

Deuce reappeared, his head tilted to one side, his human eye soft and a melancholy half-smile on his face. “I think I know what’s going on but I want you to talk first.”

"I have all his memories," Owen blurted. "I…what’s happening? I remember being Owen and I remember being…this. And attacking—" Horror filled him. "Oh. Oh fuck, I attacked Eli. I hit him in the face with a pipe. I tried to kill—"

"Hey," Deuce interrupted sharply. "Calm down. You’re going to trip your fail safe again and we’ll have to wait another twenty-four hours for you to reset."

Owen nodded and frowned. “I can’t think straight.”

Deuce pulled a stool up and sat. He held up a slim piece of metal about the length of his thumb. “I pulled this from your head. It’s a switch. It allowed whoever was controlling this to switch you remotely from ‘human Owen,’” he hooked his fingers in the air, “to ‘assassin AI Owen’ with no memory of the other.” He frowned at the switch then tossed it onto a nearby counter. “What I need to know from you is if there was ever a real Owen.”

Owen’s memories flickered past and he nodded. “There was.”

"Was," Deuce repeated flatly.

Owen nodded miserably. “He was taken two years ago and I replaced him. It was a perfect swap. No one ever knew the difference.” He snorted. “Including, apparently, me.”

"Is he dead?"

Owen stared at the ceiling when he nodded. “Why do I feel guilty?”

Deuce rubbed the back of his neck. “My best guess is you’re really fucking advanced. You’re pre-tech ban, but other than that, I have no idea what model you are or who you were developed by originally.”

"Wait, I’m that old?"

Deuce shook his head. “Probably not. You were built for whatever this is.” He waved his hand in the air. “You and the other replacements.”

"There were others?"

"One on each merc ship that ran jobs for the Baron."

Owen riffled through his memories, trying to find what he needed. “The Baron is one of us. But there’s…” he winced as the memories flew too fast. “How the fuck do I slow this down?”

Deuce chuckled. “Welcome an AI’s brain. It takes practice, but you’ll get it.” He was quiet for a moment then bent over and started removing the restraints.

"What are you doing?"

"You want to kill me?"

"Not particularly."

"All right then." Deuce helped him sit up. "Hang on, let me close this up." He moved to Owen’s side and closed the head panel. "Sorry about your scalp."

"Will it heal?" Owen asked. He mentally felt through his body, trying to detect metal instead of bone, wires instead of vessels, circuits instead of organs. But he felt no different.

"Eventually." Deuce wrapped a strip of cloth around Owen’s head and sat on the stool again.

Owen stared at Deuce’s exposed metal skull and his bare arm. “Do I look like that underneath?”

Deuce flexed his metal fingers and shrugged. “Probably. We can peel your skin off and check.”

"No, thank you," Owen muttered. "Why are you being nice to me? AI solidarity?"

Deuce snorted. “If you want to call it that.” He tilted his head. “Do you know who built you?”

Owen shook his head. “No idea.”

"What’s your earliest memory?"

"A white room."

"Anyone in the room?"

He frowned. “No, it’s just me.”

"Sounds? Smells? Are you standing or sitting?" Deuce’s voice was easy and soothing.

"Beeping. No smells. It was cold and I was standing against a wall." Owen rubbed his forehead. "Then it goes dark."

Deuce nodded. “Probably your initial test to make sure you were working properly before they turned you off until you were needed.” He rubbed his fingers over his lower lip. “After coming aboard Sidewinder, when were you first activated?”

Owen rifled through memories. Snatches and blips of images blinked past. “I, um, turned on a tracking device someone slipped Kelly when he went ashore in New Shanghai.” He glanced at Deuce, half expecting to see judgment but Deuce merely watched him passively. “I sent information that…oh jesus.” He knew he was a machine, but he was seriously going to be sick. “I told them where Ty and Kelly would be.”

"What was the original plan with them?"

"Leverage their lives for the parts then kill them," Owen answered automatically. He shook his head.

"Have you been relaying information about the armada?"

Owen nodded. He ground his teeth. “I attacked Eli and sabotaged the engines.”

"Anything else?"

He shook his head. He felt dirty and used. It wasn’t so much that his entire life was a lie; it was that _he_ was a lie. He wasn’t even the real Owen. Well he was, but wasn’t. And, damn, wasn’t that confusing. “Fuck. What are you going to do to me?”

"I don’t know. That’s up to Ty and Zane."

"Great. Ty’s going to shoot me."

Deuce shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe. Maybe not. You probably have a lot of information in those memory banks of yours.” He stood and rolled his shoulders back. “Let me talk to them. You stay put and don’t make any noise.”

"Hey, Deuce?" Owen called after him.

Deuce glanced over his shoulder.

Owen licked his lips. “Thank you.”

Deuce nodded with a sad sort of smile and left.

~*~

Even though he’d been built instead of born, Deuce understood human emotion to the point that he often felt it himself. His model had been the final design in a long line of androids. At least, so he’d thought until he met Owen. He prided himself on being able to read people fairly accurately, which is why he knew Owen’s anguish over discovering his insides came from a manufacturer was real.

He also knew the anger and hurt simmering on Ty’s face right now was real, too.

Deuce ran a hand through his hair and sat down, propping his legs up on the table and folding his hands over his stomach. The whole situation was a mess. On the one hand, this Owen was a would-be assassin and saboteur. On the other, he had every memory and emotion of the human Owen and, for all intents and purposes, _was_ the real Owen.

"Well?" Ty asked, his voice hard. Zane sat next to him, his face drawn tight and his emotions shuttered behind a figurative cold mask. His breathing mask sat to one side, discarded because of a broken filter.

Deuce glanced around the room. Kelly and Ash sat on the couch. Nick perched on the arm of the couch next to Kelly, one hand resting on Kelly’s shoulder. Ash still looked pale and haunted from losing his ship and his crew. His eyes were unfocused and he stared more at the floor than anything else. Elias and Digger leaned against the wall, arms folded. Expressions ranged from confused to angry.

Deuce looked back at Ty and Zane. “He had no idea he was a bot.”

Ty’s eyes narrowed. “He could be playing you.”

"Or I could know more about bots than you do," Deuce answered patiently.

"That thing is not Owen," Zane said slowly.

Deuce bobbed his head from side to side. “Technically, it’s not flesh and blood Owen that you picked up eight years ago. However, it’s as close to a clone as you’ll get. He has every memory, every feeling, every emotion human Owen had.”

"Had?" Kelly asked.

Deuce glanced at him. Kelly frowned and looked away, his jaw working.

"Shit," Digger muttered.

"So it killed Owen," Nick said.

Deuce shook his head. “No, _he_ didn’t. Someone else did. My guess it was the Baron. Human Owen was kidnapped and AI Owen was put in his place immediately. You guys wouldn’t have even noticed the swap.”

"When?" Zane asked.

"Two years ago."

Absolute silence.

"Two…years?" Elias’ voice was barely above a shocked whisper.

Deuce nodded.

"How in the fuck?" Ty growled.

Deuce leveled Ty with a glare. “Are you actually going to listen to my explanation or have you already made up your mind to dismantle him for spare parts?”

Ty opened his mouth to retort but Zane put a hand on Ty’s arm. He nodded at Deuce. “Explain.”

Deuce arched his eyebrow. “His model is a newer generation than mine.”

"How is that possible?" Nick asked. "The ban came right after your model was released."

Deuce nodded. “Technically correct. But you and I both know that just because a law is passed doesn’t necessarily mean everyone follows it immediately.”

"Or at all," Digger added.

Deuce pointed at him in agreement. “The reason why AI production was halted after my model was because we were too human. The original purpose of the androids was to use them for jobs and put them in situations too dangerous for humans. Easier to send a machine into a war zone. But they needed ones that could actually think and reason and make decisions since we all know that life isn’t black and white. So they kept making them more and more human until they reached my model. They couldn’t send Auggies into war zones with the same sense of detachment as they could earlier versions.”

"So you’re saying his model is more human?" Elias asked.

Deuce nodded. “He’s so human that his programming was actually able to fool _him_ into believing his own humanity. I dug a switch out of his head that flipped him from human to killing tool with no memory of the other. As far as he was concerned, he had memories of doing other things.”

"He had no idea what he was doing," Kelly said slowly. He looked at Ty. "There are a lot of drugs on the market that do the same thing to humans. It’s not much different from that."

Ty’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re on its side? It’s a bot!”

"So am I, Tyler," Deuce snapped. "Any condemnation you want to rain down on his shoulders because of his insides you’d better apply to me as well."

"You’ve proven yourself," Ty retorted.

"And the last two years, what, Owen’s slacked off and never pulled his weight or saved your life?" Deuce thumped his boots on the ground and leaned forward. "Let’s play a game, shall we. Zane’s been drugged and, in his drugged state, he was ordered to kill someone. He does, comes out of his drugged state, and continues on without any memory of what happened. _You_ find out about it. Do you shoot Zane, punish him for murder, immediately turn your back on him?”

Ty’s eyes narrowed, a muscle thumping on his jaw. He kept his mouth shut, refusing to answer.

Deuce tilted his head to one side. “Or is this just about the fact that one of your mates turned out to be a bot and you were never the wiser?” He stared at him for a long, silent moment. “I get it, Ty. You feel betrayed, you feel foolish. You feel like you let human Owen down by not noticing what happened. All of that is perfectly reasonable. However, do not take it out on _that_ Owen. He didn’t ask to be activated. He didn’t ask for his programming. And, if it makes a damn bit of difference, he’s wallowing in the android equivalent of guilt down there.”

After another tense moment of staring, the corner of Ty’s mouth barely ticked upward. “You a shrink now?”

Deuce shrugged one shoulder lazily. “If that’s what it takes to beat some sense into you. It’s that or a bat.”

"So what do you propose?" Zane asked. His voice was still cool and detached, his mask in place.

"You guys need to talk to him. Alone. In a group. Doesn’t matter. No weapons, though."

Digger laughed. “Yeah, that’s a brilliant idea until he goes nuts and kills us with his bare hands.”

Deuce shook his head. “I removed his bitch switch. He won’t hurt you.” He looked around while their faces grew thoughtful. He understood their hesitance. He even understood their anger and hurt. A man they’d considered a brother was taken and killed two years ago and these men never knew. They never had a chance to avenge his death, mourn his death, or find and bury his body.

And maybe it was the android part of him that felt for Owen, that wanted these men to accept him. He knew they would have a hard time forgiving Owen, and maybe they never would, but he just hoped they wouldn’t kill the man.

Kelly rubbed a palm over his jaw. “I’ll talk to him.”

"Kels," Nick murmured with a frown.

"What? I can think of at least five times in the past year alone that Owen’s saved my ass, including bringing the ship to pick all of us up when you guys rescued Ty and me. Those times were _that_ Owen. Yeah, it’s bizarre and horrible and a fucking mess, but we’ve been on this ship with that Owen for two years and no one knew. We aren’t a bunch of idiots. He’s always been our brother.” Kelly raised his palms in a shrug and trailed off.

"You can just overlook what he’s done? Just like that?" Ty asked quietly.

Kelly blew out a breath. “Honestly? I want to punch him. But, I also get it. He was pretty much drugged against his will. It would be like someone getting access to Deuce and rewiring him. Or, like Deuce said, someone drugging any one of us and making us do something bad.”

"He attacked Eli," Nick said.

Kelly nodded. “I know. But…how many of us have woken up from a nightmare and swung first before realizing who we hit.”

No one responded because just about everyone in the room had been there.

"I know it’s not black and white and, yes, what he did should be dealt with," Kelly continued carefully. "But I don’t think his punishment should be death."

Deuce smiled to himself, a sense of pride filling him at Kelly’s words. Once a skinny wisp of a boy who was terrified of anything that sounded like chains, he was now a grown man with a good head on his shoulders and a stable relationship. Kelly always surprised him like that. Mostly a monkey and an acrobat and a goof, he had these moments of quiet brilliance in which he pierced right to the heart of the matter and laid it out with patient reason.

"I’ll go with you," Digger said to Kelly.

Kelly nodded.

Nick rubbed his thumb over his lip. “Me too.”

Elias nodded. “Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”

Deuce blinked at him in surprise then smiled. He looked at Ty and Zane. Zane’s expression had melted some, turning more introspective and thoughtful. Deuce knew he was spinning through the facts in his head and examining every angle. Honestly, if someone had asked Deuce to guess who on Sidewinder was an android, he would have put some money on Zane.

Zane met his gaze. “I’ll talk to him.”

Ty was staring at the table, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. “Fine. We’ll talk.” He got up and left the cabin before anyone could say another word.

Nick watched Ty leave. “He hates feeling like he let someone down.”

"Fuck, we all feel like we let Owen down," Digger replied.

Zane’s chuckle was soft and sad. “But he’s the captain.”

And he was right. Sure, Ty and Zane were co-captains and carried the same weight as far as command was concerned. But Zane was the quiet, solid anchor to Ty’s hurricane of frenzied ideas, manic fidgeting, and whirlwind emotions. They all knew Zane deferred to Ty in most things, even when Zane’s analytical mind took over and he steered Ty in the right direction with little nudges and pointed questions.

Right now, Captain Grady was shouldering all the guilt for the death of one of his crew.

~*~

Ty stalked across the deck, stopping about four paces away from the doors leading to below deck where Owen was being held. He stared at the doors for what felt like an eternity before spinning away with a growl and heading down the deck to the far end of the ship. Logically, he understood Deuce’s argument. He even had no rebuttal. Everything Deuce said made perfect sense.

It did nothing, absolutely nothing, to ease the yawning ache in his chest at the thought that one of his men—a friend, a brother, a shipmate—was kidnapped and killed on his watch. That thing downstairs might be a great guy and perfect fucking replica of Owen Johns. But that didn’t erase the fact that he failed to protect a member of his crew.

Two goddamn _years_ ago.

He leaned his elbows on the railing and stared out at the water. Wreckage from the sunken ships and the blown apart submarine bobbed among the waves. Some fucking armada captain he was turning out to be. In four days, three ships had been destroyed. They were no closer to finding the bomb parts before the Baron. Hell, they didn’t even know where the Baron was—real or fake. And now there were exposed automatons on each of the remaining ships. Most of the other captains had shot theirs through the head without hesitating. Sidewinder and two other boats had kept theirs alive.

Ty pressed his fists into his eyes until he saw spots. He felt like he was hanging on by his fingernails, trying to make sense of a situation that was so tied up and blurry. He needed to delegate, he needed to fix, he needed to address, he needed—

"You should go get Zane and have some really angry sex. Get all that bullshit out of your system."

Ty laughed weakly and looked at Ash. “You think?”

Ash nodded solemnly and leaned a hip against the railing. “Usually works for me when I can’t think straight.”

A sudden thought gripped Ty’s chest in a vise. “Shit, Ash, you didn’t lose…someone…” He waved a hand helplessly at the water.

Ash shook his head with a sad smile. “Not like that, no. I don’t think I’d be functioning nearly as well as I am if I did.”

Ty nodded. He couldn’t, and didn’t want to, think about what he would be like if he lost Zane like that. He felt like Zane was the only stable thing he had left right now.

"I don’t know what to do, Ash."

"About?"

"All of it."

Ash rolled his tongue bead across his bottom lip. “How many ships do you have left?”

"Nine including us."

Ash carved a shallow design in the railing with his thumbnail. “Ever thought about delegating?”

Ty laughed. “I know.” He rubbed his face. “Fuck.”

"For what it’s worth, I don’t envy you right now."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Ash grinned, the expression not quite meeting his eyes or loosening his body like it usually would, but it was still contagious and warm. He turned and looked out at the waves, his expression tightening at the wreckage. “I’m sorry about Owen.”

Ty nodded, a rock in his throat. He swallowed around it. “I’m sorry about Ava and your crew.”

"You ever miss life before all this?" Ash asked quietly.

"Before the ship?"

Ash nodded.

Ty pressed his lips together. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “Sometimes I miss the cities and the people.”

"The hookups?" Ash winked at him.

Ty snorted. “Yes, Lucroix. Occasionally, I think back on our time together with great fondness.”

"That was fucking eloquent, Grady. Well done. I almost believed you."

"I almost believed it myself, bastard."

Ash stuck his tongue stud between his teeth and grinned. They fell silent again, standing in easy silence, watching the ocean gently buffet the ship. Ty flexed his new hand a few times, watching the sunlight glint off the metal. “Too much shit to do, Ash.”

"Make someone else do it. Pick the job you want to do. Give the rest of it away. Yell at folks for doing it wrong." Ash punched Ty lightly on the arm. "You’re the captain, aren’t you?"

"So I’ve been told," he muttered dryly.

"Well," Ash gestured at the other ships. "Be a fucking captain."

~*~

"I’m so fucking glad you aren’t a bot." Nick grabbed Kelly and kissed him hard, pushing him into their cabin with his body.

Kelly hummed his agreement against Nick’s mouth and chose to wrap his legs around Nick’s waist rather than walk backward. Nick kicked their door closed and toppled onto their bed, his mouth moving from Kelly’s lips to Kelly’s neck and latching on. Kelly made a happy noise that sounded somewhere between a groan and a purr, his hands pushing up Nick’s shirt so he could reach the skin underneath.

The past twenty-four hours had been mayhem between searching for survivors, dealing with the passed out automatons, and attending to injuries and repairs on multiple ships. Kelly was one of the few medics who survived so he’d been away on other ships stitching wounds and dealing with broken limbs. Nick’s expertise had been requested by multiple other vessels dealing with failing mechanics and battered clockwork limbs. Nick felt like he hadn’t seen, much less touched, Kelly in way too long. But there was still one thing he needed.

Nick pushed up on one elbow and looked down at Kelly. “It’s pretty dim in here.” He hooked a finger under the strap of Kelly’s goggles. “I need to see your eyes, Kels. I need to see you looking at me.”

"That was borderline romantic." Kelly smirked and ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

Nick laughed and shook his head. “Don’t tell anyone.” He tugged and slid the goggles off Kelly’s head.

Kelly kept his eyes shut, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “If it’s too much, I’m closing them again.”

"Deal." Nick ran his thumb over the twin rings in the side of Kelly’s lower lip.

Kelly nipped at Nick’s finger as he slowly opened his eyes.

Nick smiled as the swirling colors and glowing white were revealed.

"Hey." Kelly smiled back and slid his hands up Nick’s chest and wound his arms around Nick’s neck.

"Can you see me?"

"Yeah." Kelly’s eyes skated around Nick’s face. They watered a little, a stray tear escaping and sliding down Kelly’s temple.

"Are you okay? Is it too much?" Nick shifted his weight, a soft groan escaping when their erections rubbed together through their clothing.

Kelly’s eyelids fluttered at the movement and his hold tightened. His lips curved into a grin. “It’s good. I’m good. Very fucking good.”

Nick dove in for a hard kiss, sliding one hand under Kelly’s head to grab his hair and pull him to the angle he wanted. They both moaned. Nick bit at Kelly’s lips, smiling at the little gasps it elicited. He pulled away as Kelly pawed at his shirt, sitting up on his knees to strip it off. Kelly followed the movement, running his tongue from Nick’s abs up the center of his chest and biting down on his collarbone before he pushed Nick backwards and crawled over him. A mischievous grin lit his face and his eyes brightened as he pulled his own shirt off and straddled Nick’s hips.

Nick ran his hands up Kelly’s thighs, his thumbs massaging the lean muscles. He relaxed into the pillows, watching Kelly’s gaze take its time appreciating Nick’s body. He leaned over and placed several open-mouthed kisses on Nick’s chest, his tongue flicking out.

"So I was thinking about getting another piercing." Kelly’s lips moved against Nick’s skin as he spoke.

"Oh yeah?" Nick cleared his throat and tried to keep a handle on his breathing as Kelly’s mouth moved lower.

"Mhm. Can’t decide what, though." The piercings in his lip scraped against Nick’s skin, sending little shivers across his stomach. "I could do another in my ear. Another in my eyebrow."

"You could," Nick drawled. He tucked another pillow behind his head so he could watch Kelly.

Kelly lifted his head enough to grin at Nick and shuffled backward, kissing along Nick’s side to his hip. “Nipples crossed my mind. That’s kinda hot.”

Nick hummed in agreement. Kelly didn’t take the reins very often or, really, for very long once Nick got fully revved up. But it was a fun experience when Kelly wanted to tease and play—one it had taken Nick a while to get used to, but he was glad he did. He lifted his hips off the bed as Kelly tugged at Nick’s pants, pulling them down to Nick’s thighs and leaving them there. Kelly winked at him and licked the crease of Nick’s thigh, pressing a kiss to his hip bone. “Then I was thinking since you like these so much,” he rubbed his lip piercings across Nick’s skin, “especially when I do this.” He ducked his head and ran his mouth up the length of Nick’s cock, dragging the rings around his lip over the thick vein on the underside.

Nick gasped and pushed his head back into the pillows, his breath catching in his throat. “Jesus, Kel…”

Kelly grinned and settled down between Nick’s legs. “So I thought maybe I’d take it a step further and pierce my tongue.” His tongue flicked out and licked at Nick before he sucked the head into his mouth and continued sucking until Nick hit the back of his throat.

Nick shouted and bowed off the bed. Heat streaked through him as Kelly hummed, drawing up slowly before plunging back down, his tongue doing things Nick didn’t have names for. Kelly slid his hands across Nick’s hips and up his stomach, his blunt fingernails dragging along Nick’s sensitive skin. He pulled up slowly, hollowing his cheeks and swirling his tongue around the head before pulling off and looking at Nick with a satisfied grin. “Thoughts?”

Nick laughed as he tried to get air into his lungs. His entire body buzzed. “Your tongue, huh?” He kicked out of his pants when Kelly moved to do the same. Kelly rummaged through a drawer nearby then crawled back onto the bed, his lean muscles moving and stretching, his eyes wide and bright. He straddled Nick again and nodded, his features schooled into an overly serious expression. “There is one downside.”

"What—" Nick broke off in a groan as Kelly wrapped his long fingers, slick with lube, around both of their cocks and stroked them slowly in tandem. "What’s that?" he managed to grind out as his fingers dug into Kelly’s thighs hard enough to leave bruises. His hips moved under Kelly’s weight and he fought the urge to maul Kelly into the bed.

For another moment, anyway.

"Tongue swells up for a few days. Can’t really use it." Kelly’s voice sounded tight, like he was fighting giving into the pleasure in order to maintain the conversation. He thrust his hips into his hand and along Nick’s cock, his balls pressing into Nick’s.

"So you wouldn’t be able to speak?" Nick growled and pressed his tongue to his teeth as he watched Kelly move. His control was rapidly fraying.

Kelly bit his bottom lip and nodded, his mouth falling open with his deep breaths.

And that’s all it took.

Nick sat up, grabbing the back of Kelly’s neck and yanking their mouths together. “Good.” He snaked a hand between them and stroked Kelly’s cock, hard enough to get those sounds he loved rolling up Kelly’s throat. He swallowed Kelly’s groans and bit at his tongue while he moved his hand around under Kelly’s ass, sliding one finger inside him.

Kelly jerked and groaned, his head falling back as he started to ride Nick’s finger. Nick wrapped one arm around Kelly’s waist, biting and kissing any skin he could reach on Kelly’s chest and neck. He added a second finger, twisting them wickedly, loving the sounds coming from the man in his arms. Kelly pulled his head up and tipped his forehead against Nick’s. “Please…” His whisper was tense and strained. His fingernails dug into Nick’s shoulders.

"Please what?" Nick asked, his voice low and dark.

Kelly squeezed his eyes shut, his breath ghosting over Nick’s lips. “Fuck me.”

"I think I am already." Nick twisted his fingers again to punctuate his statement.

Kelly growled in frustration. He pushed his mouth against Nick’s, his tongue mimicking the movement of his hips. “Nick…”

Nick pulled his fingers out and Kelly made a noise of protest as Nick grabbed the side of Kelly’s neck and shoved him sideways onto the bed. While Kelly scrambled to orient himself, Nick knelt behind him, lined up, and pushed slowly into him. Kelly cried out, his voice muffled by the blankets, his hands fisting the sheets as Nick rocked deeper. Nick’s weight bearing down pushed Kelly flat into the bed, who kept up a litany of unintelligible curses interspersed with sharp moans. Nick put one hand on the back of Kelly’s head to hold him down as he increased the speed and strength of his thrusts. Kelly writhed underneath him, trying to push his hips up to meet Nick but his position didn’t allow for much traction. One of Kelly’s hands clutched at Nick’s hand on his head, his fingers digging in so hard the edges turned white.

Nick managed a handful more thrusts before his orgasm slammed into him. He curled over Kelly, pressing his forehead to his back, his head spinning and his heart pounding out of his chest as his body jerked. Kelly whimpered, his fingers flexing over Nick’s.

Nick pulled out with a groan and reached under Kelly, pushing at his hip while he stretched out on the bed. He took Kelly in hand and stroked him, pulling Kelly to himself for a brutal kiss. Kelly curled one arm around Nick’s neck and held on as if he was falling. He shouted into Nick’s mouth as his entire body strung tight and he came in Nick’s hand.

Nick stroked him through his orgasm, slowing and eventually letting go and collapsing. Kelly’s body went boneless and he lay draped across Nick’s chest, gulping air.

"Fuck, you’re good at that," Kelly mumbled between pants.

Nick laughed weakly and pressed a kiss to Kelly’s sweaty hair. “You aren’t half bad yourself.”

"Don’t hurt yourself dishing out the compliments, babe." Kelly rolled onto his back, his forearm thrown over his eyes.

Nick followed, rolling to his side and slinging an arm across Kelly’s chest. “You’re fabulous in bed, Kels,” he drawled.

Kelly’s body shook with silent laughter. “Can I have that on a T-shirt?”

"Anything you want."

Kelly hummed a happy sound and turned in Nick’s arms, situating himself until his head tucked neatly under Nick’s chin. He pressed a kiss to the dip in Nick’s collarbone and let out a long breath.

"You okay?" Nick asked as he ran his fingers up Kelly’s spine.

Kelly nodded against his chest. “I am now.”

Nick smiled, knowing exactly what he meant and feeling the same way.

Kelly pulled his head away so he could look up at Nick. “Does this feel like a weird sort of calm before the storm to you?”

Nick pushed his fingers through Kelly’s hair, watching his own pale skin travel through the dark locks. “A little.”

Kelly frowned slightly but didn’t say anything else. His eyes fluttered shut and the room felt darker without the shining colors Nick had only just now gotten used to seeing again. Nick gathered Kelly to his chest again and closed his eyes, pushing away the odd twist in his chest and giving into the exhaustion.

~*~

Delegating wasn’t so bad once Ty actually sat down and mapped it out. Six of the nine remaining ships were in working order. He divided them up and sent them on various errands—supplies and two of the remaining bomb parts. One ship, the one with the most crew still alive, he sent after the Baron after receiving word that Bell had been sighted in India.

That left Sidewinder.

After a lot of stern talking from Deuce, Ty agreed to let him oversee Owen repairing what he’d done to the engines. Deuce told him it would go a long way to fixing things. Ty’s jury was still out when it came to the automaton. Zane, Digger, and Elias had gone to talk to him already and seemed at least open to the idea that this Owen wasn’t inherently _bad_.

Ty hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

He was busy.

Shit to do.

Assholes to captain.

With the engines repaired and some makeshift sails rigged, they set out for the Northern Roman Provinces. Word came that a key piece to the bomb was there. Rather than just send a man or two out on a wind rider, Ty elected for all of Sidewinder to stick together. Splitting up hadn’t gone so well the last few times.

With the engines churning and the wind in their favor, they reached their destination in only two nights. Docking proved difficult as apparently, there was some sort of festival happening. The entirety of the Northern Mediterranean coastline was stacked with ships. Ships jammed the sky, flying higher and higher to get over the city rather than wind through the mess.

"What is going on?" Ty growled as he stood at the railing with a frown.

Zane shook his head. “We may have to anchor out here and ferry in.”

"That’ll be great for a getaway." Ty spun away and headed into the main cabin. He looked at Deuce. "I assume you want to stay here."

Deuce nodded. “Can’t exactly hide.” He gestured to his face with his metal hand.

Ty nodded. “You keep eyes on Owen while we’re gone.”

Deuce’s eyebrow twitched but he merely gave a single nod.

Ty flipped open the comm box. “Irish, Doc, Digger, Sanchez, asses up top now.”

A chorus of cussing mixed with “Aye-Aye, Captain” came through the comm.

"What about me?" Ash asked from the doorway.

Ty looked at him for a long moment, taking in the dark circles under Ash’s eyes and the frown lines around his mouth. “Have you slept?”

Ash shrugged a shoulder. “On and off.”

"Are you straight enough to handle a gun?" Zane asked.

Ash winked at him. “Define _straight_ , captain.” He held up a hand before anyone could say anything. “I’m good. And I want to help, if you’ll have me.”

Ty smirked at him and clapped him on the shoulder as he left the cabin. “Welcome to Sidewinder, Lucroix.”


	16. Prince & Pauper

Zane wound through the crowd, not bothering to check if the others were following. The Roman Provinces, both North and South, always put him on edge. He’d had a number of deals go wrong here and, consequently, had a fair number of enemies. It was bad enough he was having trouble breathing without his now-broken mask, but his face was exposed. In a twisted sort of way, his accident allowed him to adopt the anonymity he needed without having to ever explain why. Of course, over the years, anonymity became a necessity for all of them as their infamy grew. Well, except for Ty, who’d cultivated his look down to the dark hat and duster he’d favored until they were taken. He was always recognized.

And a part of Ty loved it. Not that he wanted to stand up in front of a crowd and give speeches, fuck no. But the _look_ , the _specter_ of it all. That’s what appealed to Ty and made him embrace being a pirate. For Zane, it was more blending into the shadows as he’d done for 22 years now.

That, however, was borne out of necessity.

Zane stopped at the top of a large, stone staircase that led from the docks down into the city proper. He examined the crowds, trying to figure out what had so many damn people crowding the province. He couldn’t think of any holidays or recent peace accords.

"Hey, check this out," Kelly’s voice drifted over from a shop window. The rest of them crowded around Kelly, who pointed at a large flier tacked to the inside of the window. "It’s some sort of fiftieth anniversary celebration of a treaty it looks like. Yeah, between the Northern and Southern Roman Provinces and facilitated by…" Kelly’s voice trailed off as the words were obscured by a stain on the glass. "I can’t see who."

"That was excellent reading, Abbott." Elias elbowed him.

Kelly beamed with mock pride. “I practice my letters and numbers every day.”

Nick snorted.

"Doesn’t matter. It doesn’t concern us." Ty waved a hand and turned away from the window.

"It explains the crowds," Kelly pointed out. He adjusted his goggles slightly and fixed a twist in the strap.

"And?" Ty arched an eyebrow.

"The monkey would like to see what shiny objects he can find in people’s pockets," Digger explained.

Kelly grinned widely and bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Where’s the part?" Zane asked Ty.

Ty blew out a breath. “There’s a lab connected to the President’s house or castle or villa or whatever the fuck they call it here.”

"Palace. And that’s the only place we can find it?" Zane frowned as he looked at the flier again.

"Something about some alloy component that gives the bomb a higher yield. I don’t know. I don’t know bombs. Digger, that sound right?"

"Yep." Digger leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "I’d explain it but you’d probably tune me out."

"What?" Ty turned away and headed for the stairs. He paused on the top step. "Kelly."

"Yo."

"Find me a new duster while you’re crowd-sourcing." Ty grinned over his shoulder then jogged down the stairs.

Kelly blew on his fingertips and rolled his shoulders. Nick shook his head, patient smile firmly in place as he followed Kelly and Ty down the steps. Digger, Ash, and Elias trailed after them. Zane hung back, glancing at the flier one more time before his narrowed gaze scanned the crowd. Maybe it was a byproduct of all the hell they’d been through in the past few weeks, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being hunted.

The wide avenues of the Roman Provinces were clogged with color and sound. Bright flags flew from every rooftop. Banners strung across every street proclaimed the anniversary in scrolling gold letters. Many people walked around in costumes from eras long since dead. The styles of every century from ancient times onward created a cacophony of texture and color and absurdity. The tinkling music of a carnival drifted over the crowds, along with the spicy sweet smells of finger food and other treats. Shopkeepers took advantage of the throngs, offering deals and sales on wares and food no one needed but people purchased anyway. The sky cleared and the sun shone down, adding its light to the gaiety of the festival.

Kelly melted in and out of the crowd. He appeared at Nick’s side with a leather satchel which he wordlessly handed over then disappeared again. Nick glanced inside, shook his head with a laugh, and slung it across his chest.

"Should probably just send Kelly to the lab to the get the part." Elias grinned. "He’d be in and out in five minutes."

"Yeah, with the part and half the lab in his pockets," Ash added.

Nick laughed and adjusted his ruby-lensed spectacles. He rolled up his sleeves to the elbows as he squinted up at a banner. “Hey, what symbol is that?”

Ty glanced at the banner. “The Roman President.”

"Thanks, Beaumont." Nick rolled his eyes. "I meant the one underneath it."

Zane looked up at the banner, his insides turning to ice at the ornate C inked in a deep blue. It was cast on a silver background that contained the outline of the Texan States. The hair on the back of his neck rose and his stomach tumbled to his feet. Of all the goddamn cities in Europe…

"No idea," Ty said distractedly. "Don’t know the Americas that well."

Zane stared at the design, the buzzing in his ears growing.

"Zane?" Ty’s voice broke his concentration. Ty frowned at him, his eyes dark with concern. "Are you okay?"

The province was crowded. Overly so. Everything would be fine. He nodded tightly. “Yeah, let’s get this part and get out of here.” He pushed back into the crowd, ignoring the confused look that crossed Ty’s face.

Now that he noticed one, the blue C’s jumped out at Zane everywhere he looked. He saw blue scarves tied around necks and arms. He saw pennants and toys and other paraphernalia. He kept his head down and stuck to the most crowded areas as they worked their way across the city toward the heart where the Presidential Palace was located.

"Seriously, I think this should get me some special privileges on the ship." Kelly’s triumphant voice drifted down from a balcony as they passed underneath. He swung over the railing and landed in front of them, a dark leather duster flapping around him. He shucked it and handed it to Ty. "I’ve seen at least fourteen others this style so you won’t stand out."

"I could kiss you." Ty took the coat and pulled it on.

"Hey," Nick grunted even though a grin pulled at his lips. He slung an arm around Kelly’s shoulder. "Good job, monkey."

Kelly grinned. “It matches your hat.”

Ty tipped his pirate hat at an angle. “Fuck, this feels much better.” He held his arms out and spun on one heel with an eyebrow waggle at Zane. “Well?”

Zane smiled at him. “Lookin’ good, Captain Grady.”

Ty’s eyes flared with heat and he cleared his throat. “Right, let’s get that damn part.”

"I’ll meet you guys there." Kelly snatched a hard kiss from Nick before he jogged off again.

"Has he ever stayed with us when we go ashore?" Ty asked.

Digger shook his head. “Nope.”

"Good thing we live on a boat or we’d never see him," Elias commented.

Nick smiled widely. “Speak for yourself.”

"Horny bastard," Elias muttered as he dug around in his bag. He made a triumphant noise and pulled out a hunk of bread.

"At least I’m getting laid on a regular basis," Nick retorted as they started down the street again.

"Rub it in, Irish." Digger rolled his eyes.

 ”Better than rubbing one out alone, bitches.” Nick turned around so he was walking backward in front of them. He flipped them off with a grin.

"Asshole." Elias threw bread at him.

Nick cackled and ducked. Zane shook his head and tuned out the rest of their banter. Ty fell into step beside him.

"Hey, what’s up with you?"

Zane shot him a sideways look. “Nothing.”

"Liar." Ty smirked. "What has you wound so tight?"

Zane blew out a breath, knowing the others were listening, too. “Just not a fan of crowds.”

Ty frowned but didn’t say anything. His hand brushed Zane’s as they walked, obviously attempting to soothe him, but all it did was wind Zane tighter.

Kelly darted out of a space between two buildings, ducking behind Nick and Elias. Without hesitating, Elias put his hat on Kelly’s head and Digger moved up to shield him as well. Nick pulled Kelly’s goggles off and handed him his own spectacles. Kelly shoved them on, keeping his eyes lowered and scrunched. Nick slid his arm around Kelly’s shoulders, his expression staying easy but his eyes sharpening. Ash smirked at the obviously well-practiced routine of hiding Kelly when he nearly got caught.

A moment later, two Provincial Guards burst out of the same space, looking in opposite directions. They spoke in low tones to each other then took off running down the street.

Kelly flipped off Elias’ hat, rolled it down his arm and deposited it back on Elias’ head. “Thanks.”

Elias nodded.

"What did you take from them?" Nick asked as he handed Kelly his goggles back.

Kelly slid the goggles on and dug in his coat pockets. He pulled out two silver daggers. “I think I’m keeping these ones.”

"You’re going to get caught and your hands cut off one of these days," Zane said over his shoulder.

Nick’s eyebrows rose at Zane’s sharp tone. Ty shook his head. Kelly popped his hand up like a puppet and mimed Zane scolding him. He snickered when Nick poked him in the side.

Zane started to retort but froze when movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He pulled up short as two men stepped into their path. Without even asking, he knew who they were. The blue C stitched on their left breast pocket and identical black pants, black shirt with silver thread, and dark glasses gave it away.

"If you’ll please come with us, sir." The man on the left smiled a little too wide and a little too cheerful.

"No, thanks," Zane grunted and turned away.

A hand landed on his arm. In an instant, guns appeared.

"Get your fucking hand off him," Ty snarled.

The man’s smile didn’t waver. “Of course, your friends are invited as well, sir. But we must insist you accompany us.”

Nick stepped forward. “Five against two. I don’t care that we’re in public.”

Zane glanced up as more men clad in black appeared on the rooftops and from the alleyways on either side. He returned his stare to the smiling guard.

The man’s smile chilled around the edge. “As I said, I insist. _Sir_.”

Zane clenched his fists so hard his fingernails bit into his palms. He calculated the odds of getting out of this situation without losing any of his crew or harming innocent bystanders. The chances were slim to none. “Lower your weapons, guys.”

"Zane?" Ty whispered.

Zane stared at the guard, his eyes flickering down to the emblazoned C on the man’s chest.

_Twenty-two years._

He turned and slid his palms over Ty’s jaw, pulling him in for a hard and desperate kiss. Ty flailed and made a muffled sound of protest, his hands settling tentatively on Zane’s hips. Zane kissed Ty as if it were their last time, thoroughly tasting him and committing every scent, taste, and second to memory. After today, that might very well be the truth. Zane pulled away only enough to speak, his lips brushing Ty’s. “Whatever happens…whatever you hear, please remember that I love you.”

"Zane?" Worry crept into Ty’s voice and he pulled back so he could look Zane in the eyes. The hazel darkened with concern and lines of confusion appeared between his brows.

Zane swallowed hard. “Trust me,” he whispered before he dropped his hands and turned to the guards again. He straightened to his full height, his spine and muscles remembering years of etiquette and training. A detached sort of calm settled over him like a familiar blanket. Familiar, yet still unwanted and ill-fitting. “Lead the way.” The voice that came out of his mouth was flat and emotionless. He ignored the confused looks from the men around him and followed the guards, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

The walk to the Presidential Palace was a short one through nearly empty side streets. Once they were through the main gate, they crossed a massive bricked courtyard, the different colored bricks coming together to form some sort of design that Zane figured was probably better viewed from the air. To one side of the courtyard sat multiple vehicles—electric cars, steam-powered coaches, a wind rider. At the far end of the palace, a massive airship docked to the topmost level. She was easily three times the size of Sidewinder and cast an impressive silhouette.

The palace sprawled a kilometre in each direction, her origins that of the original Roman Presidential Palace. The centuries watched her undergo additions and remodeling until the current palace towered over the city in shades of bronze, silver, and white. Windows reflected the late morning sun, making the building seem to glow. Festival noise filtered through the trees and over the main wall surrounding the palace.

"Damn," Digger whispered reverently as they approached the main doors.

Zane followed the guards inside, studiously ignoring the opulence around him. His insides were so knotted up, he believed he could look down and see lumpy skin instead of smooth muscles. His thoughts spun a mile a minute, forming plans, scrapping plans, rehearsing speeches and excuses.

Forming apologies.

He vaguely heard Nick admonish Kelly for trying to use his five finger discount, but even that didn’t amuse him.

The guards led them down a wide corridor to a set of heavy wood doors at the far end. Outside, they paused, knocked, and waited.

"Come in."

Zane closed his eyes at the voice, grinding his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He opened his eyes and stepped through the now open door into a large parlor. He felt more than saw or heard the others enter behind him. The doors shut with a soft click that seemed to echo in his ears and signal a sense of unwavering finality.

Zane faced the woman behind the desk on the far side of the room. She hadn’t changed as much as he’d thought she would. She barely looked any older than when he’d last seen her twenty-two years ago. It didn’t surprise him. In a world where looks and appearance were the top priority, you purchased the best looks and appearance money could buy.

The woman didn’t smile as she stood. She smoothed her already perfect straight black hair, her ice blue eyes narrowed. “Zachary.”

Zane bristled but kept everything off his face. “Hello, Mother.”

Six simultaneous gasps of shock from behind him.

"Wait, what?" Kelly blurted.

"Mother?" Nick echoed in a confused tone.

"Why did she call you Zachary?" Digger demanded.

"Holy shit," Elias breathed.

"Fuck," Ash muttered.

Zane waited for something from Ty. When there was nothing but silence, he turned around slowly. Ty stood absolutely motionless, his eyes wide, lips slightly parted in shock. Zane swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, I’d like to present Beverly Carter, Matriarch of the Carter Family and current leader of the Texan States.” The titles flowed by rote off his tongue, but they tasted false and bitter.

"And your mom," Nick added flatly.

Zane nodded, still staring at Ty. “…baby.” He reached a hand toward Ty. The movement seemed to snap Ty out of whatever shock he was in. He leaned away, both palms coming up slightly.

"Explain." His voice came out choked and tight.

"Well, it’s quite simple," Beverly interjected. "He’s my son, Zachary Carter."

"No, he’s Zane Garrett. Our captain," Kelly protested.

Beverly laughed. “Garrett? You took your father’s name?”

"It was a better name," Zane growled over his shoulder. If he’d ever hoped Beverly carried a maternal bone in her body, that was dashed to pieces as she stood there cool and calm in the face of a son she hadn’t seen in two decades.

A son everyone thought was dead.

At least, that’d been his plan.

Beverly sniffed daintily. “It doesn’t matter what you want to call yourself. What matters is you’re Zachary Carter and you’re coming home.”

Zane barked a dry and bitter laugh. “The hell I am.”

"Zachary—"

"Stop." Zane spun back around to face Beverly. He glared at her, two decades of repressed irritation surging through his system. "You don’t look surprised to see me." _Or happy._

She waved a hand, manicured nails flashing in the sunlight filtering in the window behind her. “What’s important is that you’ve returned to your family.”

"Sending guards to fetch me is not me returning home. It’s taking me against my will."

Beverly simply met his gaze, her expression unreadable. If anything, she looked bored by the whole conversation. He stared her down, trying to gain something from her. Most importantly, why she even wanted him back now. He was nearly forty. He was of absolutely no use to her.

"You want to have some grand family reunion, fine. _After_ I talk to them. Without you present.”

Beverly drew herself up tall. “How dare you speak to me that way.”

Zane sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me speak to them privately then we’ll talk.”

"Zane…" Elias started.

Zane held up a hand and raised his eyebrows at Beverly. “Fair?”

Her eyes narrowed as she took a long, overly drawn-out moment to think about it. Zane fought the urge to cross the room and bodily remove her. Finally, she nodded once. “Fifteen minutes. I expect you in the salon without them. I have no use for them.” Without waiting for a reply, she swept out of the room in a swish of finery, silks, and jewels.

The door closing behind her seemed to seal in the tension.

Zane dropped his chin to his chest. He rubbed his face and turned around again. “Might as well sit down,” he said quietly.

Everyone sat but Ty, who remained in place by the door, his expression unreadable and his eyes shuttered. Zane stared at him, his heart sinking as he realized Ty had completely closed himself off. He blew out a breath.

"I was born Zachary Carter, oldest child and only son of the Carter family."

"And heir or some shit?" Nick asked. His expression was guarded.

Zane shook his head. “The Carter family is a matriarchy. Last name is passed down through the women. Daughters inherit the throne and the sons are married off as political moves for territory.”

Kelly choked. “You’re married?”

A pained sound escaped Ty but he still said nothing. Zane huffed in frustration. “No. I’m not. I left before—” He rake his hands through his hair. “I was set to be married off when I was sixteen to the daughter of some neighboring state in a bid for their land and livestock. I even met her once. Becky. She seemed…nice. But…” He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t do it. It’s not what I wanted. So I stole my dad’s car, drove out to the middle of nowhere, and crashed it.”

"You faked your death." Ash supplied the ending.

Zane nodded. “I had a bag with a spare set of clothes, some food, and a little cash but that was it. I took my dad’s last name, changed my first name and walked away. I bounced around, doing odd jobs so I could earn enough to get passage to Europe.”

He met each of their expressions in turn. Kelly’s black goggles made it impossible to read his expression other than the slight frown.

Zane looked at Ty, his heart in his throat. Shivers ran down his arms. “Say something.”

A muscle in Ty’s jaw jumped and he blinked slowly as if he were collecting himself. “So you’re what…a prince or something?” His voice was low and quiet, flat and cold. The way he said prince made it sound like a bad word.

Zane’s laugh was hollow and short. “I guess, yeah, I used to be.” He wished he could crawl into Ty’s head and know what he was thinking right now. The cold expression stabbed at him like a thousand knives.

Ty rolled his lips inward. “How long have we been together?”

"Ty…"

"How long."

"Ten years," Zane managed.

Ty lifted his chin. “And you never thought that at some point in the past _decade_ I’d like to know about this? I mean other than protecting you, keeping this,” he waved a hand around, “from happening. But just…telling me?”

Zane nodded, guilt balling up in his chest and crawling up his throat, choking any response he could have come up with. _Sorry_ didn’t seem nearly enough.

"Or did you think that I would use you for money or something?" Ty’s tone made it clear it wasn’t a question, but a sharp accusation.

Zane closed his eyes, unable to look at the hurt and anger simmering in Ty’s eyes. A soft curse came from the sofa where Nick and Kelly sat.

"You did?" Ty’s voice finally cracked around the edges, bleeding pain.

Zane’s eyes snapped open. “Ty.” He took a step toward him.

Ty mirrored the movement and raised his hands again, he expression darkening. “You really thought I’d use whatever the fuck you are for money?”

"At first. But I thought that about everyone. I could be used for leverage against my family. I’m not an heir but I am a fucking key playing piece. The only son." The words turned sour as he spat them out, reducing his past to a twisted sort of chess game.

"And then?" Ty asked.

The corners of his eyes pricked as he watched the play of emotions across Ty’s face. Hurt, betrayal, anger…more hurt. “I tried to tell you so many times but…I was scared.”

"Of." Ty’s tone stayed hard, accusatory and biting.

"Losing you," Zane’s voice cracked. "Because you’d think I’d lied to you."

He made a surprised noise. “You did lie to me!”

"No, I just didn’t tell—"

"A lie by omission is still a fucking lie, Zane!" Ty growled in frustration. "Or _Zachary_ or whatever the fuck your name is.”

"My name is Zane Garrett," Zane said sharply. "I’m still the same guy you’ve known for twelve years."

Ty snorted and looked away. Zane closed the short distance between them, grabbing Ty by the shoulders, and shoving him against the wall. Ty’s hat knocked against the curving arm of a wall sconce and fell off his head. “Listen to me. I was a fucking coward for not telling you and I’m sorry. But that doesn’t change anything between us.”

Ty’s hands landed on Zane’s chest and he shoved him away. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he snarled. “Doesn’t change anything between us? You were a fucking _prince_ for sixteen years!”

Zane moved forward again. “I’m still Z—”

Ty’s fist cracked across Zane’s jaw. “Don’t you dare say that name.”

Zane stumbled back against a table. He held up a hand as Elias moved. “I deserved that.” He rubbed his jaw, letting the pain spread and hoping it would swallow him whole. He deserved a hell of a lot more than one punch. The betrayal, anger, and raw hurt in Ty’s eyes carved into Zane’s heart. His throat closed around so many words, none of which would repair the gaping divide between them. His eyes burned as he watched Ty put a cold mask again.

"Were we just a place to hide?" Ty asked quietly.

"What?"

"Were we a cover? A place for you to hide out from your family?" Ty tilted his head to one side.

Zane shook his head fervently. “No. What? No. I wanted to be with _you_.”

"While hiding from your family."

Zane pressed his fists into his eyes. His chest hurt, his breathing was getting more and more labored the more worked up he got. “Zachary Carter died when he was sixteen. I stopped being that guy when I walked away from that crash. Who I was before I met you guys has no bearing on who I’ve been with you and who I am now.”

"But you never thought any of us needed to know. You never thought I needed to know. What if we’d been accused of kidnapping you?"

Zane leveled Ty with a glare. “For twenty-two years? Come on.”

"A lot of people shoot first and ask questions never. You know that as well as anyone." Ty’s words shook as if he were barely holding onto a flood of emotion. The finger he pointed at Zane trembled. "You fucking lied to me for ten _years_. Did you have anything to do with any of this shit that’s going on?”

"Ty…" Nick said in a surprised voice. "This is Zane you’re talking to."

Ty’s lip curled. “Is it?” He bent over and swept the tri-corner hat from the ground. He flipped it over in his hands, looking at it with blatant disgust. “My fucking week is up.” He threw it at Zane’s feet and stormed out of the room.

"Ty!" Zane broke off as coughing gripped him so hard he doubled over.

"Jesus." Kelly shot off the couch and knelt next to him.

Zane gasped for air. He dropped to his knees, propping himself up with one hand on the floor, and clutched at his chest. Guilt pushed him to the ground. Loss squeezed his lungs. Dull pain spread down his arms as he realized the man he loved would never be in them again.

"You guys should go," he managed between coughs, his voice strangled.

"We aren’t leaving you here," Kelly protested.

"Yes, you are." Zane pushed him away and pulled himself to his feet. Getting air in his lungs was like trying to inflate a balloon under a rock. He wrestled his emotions into a box even though he was splintering on the inside.

Kelly opened his mouth then snapped it shut and looked at Nick for help. Nick slowly stood. “What are you doing, Garrett?”

"Are you leaving us?" Elias asked softly.

Zane glanced at the open door then back to the others. “I don’t think I’m welcome right now.”

"You know his temper," Ash said, even though uncertainty crept around the edges. "He just needs to cool off."

Nick frowned. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Zane sat in a chair while Kelly timed his pulse. “At first, I didn’t trust you guys. Then I didn’t want you judging me for coming from shit like this.” He waved a hand at the room. “Then…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “It was too late.”

"It’s never too late to tell someone about something in your past," Kelly murmured.

"You’re still our captain," Nick said quietly.

The door at the opposite end of the room opened and a guard stepped in. Zane nodded and stood with some difficulty. “That’s my cue. Go while you still can. Don’t let Ty go off by himself. It’s not safe.” His stomach twisted at the thought of Ty out there alone while the entire crew was on some hunter’s radar.

With a sinking feeling that he’d never see them again and his world cracking in two, Zane turned and left without another word.

~*~

Kelly stood rooted to one spot as Zane disappeared after the guard. Zane’s back was ramrod straight, chin high, shoulders back. It was if he’d transformed into a different person. Maybe he had? All Kelly knew is Zane was going to need breathing help soon. He fought every urge to run after his captain and make sure he received treatment.

"Nick?" he looked at his lover, uncertain and lost.

Nick’s green eyes narrowed and he rubbed a thumb over his lip.

"We need to get out of here," Digger said in a low voice.

"And leave Zane?" Kelly asked.

"He knows where the ship is, Kels," Nick said. His brows furrowed and his teeth dragged over his lower lip. "Come on. We need to find Ty."

Kelly frowned but followed the others out of the room. Digger took point, his large and imposing presence daring anyone to even try to talk to him. Elias and Ash kept pace with him, his eyes sharp. Nick looked thoughtful, but Kelly knew he was hyper-aware of everything around him. Kelly trailed at the back of the group, hoping against hope that Zane would show up and leave with them.

Kelly hated this. Hated that Zane felt he had to keep this secret. Hated that he _had_ kept this secret. Hated that Ty was hurt. That Zane was hurt. That they fought. He’d only seen Ty and Zane have a knock-down-drag-out fight a handful of times over the years, but they’d always gotten through it. This time, Kelly wasn’t so sure.

And, honestly, that scared him.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that, at first, the voices drifting under the mostly closed door didn’t register. But as he passed, a lilting feminine tone stopped him cold.

_No. No way._

The shaking started in his hands as he listened to her voice. It was too quiet to determine what she was saying, but that didn’t matter. He’d never forget that voice as long as he lived. Chills crawled up his spine and he was dimly aware of a shadow falling across his path and someone grabbing his shoulders. He blinked up at Nick. “What?” His voice came out hoarse.

"What the hell is going on? You’re white as a sheet." Nick noticed Kelly’s shaking hands and his entire presence seemed to morph into protection mode. He appeared larger even though all he did was straighten his stance. His eyes narrowed and he looked around for the source of danger. His grip on Kelly’s shoulders tightened.

Kelly curled his hands into fists in an attempt to stop the shaking and noticed the cuffs around his wrists. The woman in the room answered a question with a laugh. Instantly, he was thrown back to the bed and the chains and the eye drops. He fumbled with the cuffs, determined to get them off. His hands grew numb, his fingers clumsy and useless.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Nick grabbed his wrists, his large hands and long fingers mostly covering the cuffs. "Let’s get outside."

"It’s her," he mumbled.

Nick wrapped an arm around Kelly’s shoulders and pulled him down the hall toward the main doors. “Who?”

Kelly’s mouth worked but he couldn’t get his voice to cooperate. He shook his head mutely, the shaking traveling up his arms. He forced one foot in front of the other, taking strength and warmth from Nick’s body. His eyes burned with memory and the cuffs felt too tight.

Nick guided him outside, across the courtyard, and out the main gate where the others waited.

"What’s wrong with him?" Ash asked as Kelly leaned against the wall and bent over to put his hands on his knees.

Kelly slid down to a sit and pulled his knees to his chest. He heard Nick ask about Ty, didn’t catch the answer, then Digger, Ash, and Elias walked away while Nick sat next to Kelly.

Kelly wrapped his arms around his knees and glanced at Nick. Nick watched him with a concerned, yet calm expression.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

Kelly shook his head.

Nick nodded, content to wait Kelly’s panic attack out.

Kelly took a few deep breaths, trying to dig through the medical part of his brain for all the tips for easing panic. Of course his brain would decide to blank on everything _but_ her voice. “It was the doctor.”

Nick looked at him sharply. “What doctor?”

Another tremble coursed through Kelly’s body. “The one who put drops in my eyes.”


	17. When Two Became One

Ty found himself a block away from the palace in the opposite direction of his ship before he realized he’d been walking nonstop since he stormed out of the palace. His hands were still shaking and his chest ached as though he’d taken sucker punches right to the sternum. In a way, he had. Everything that’d come out of Zane’s mouth hit him as hard as a physical blow.

_Zane._

_Zachary._

_Fucking hell._

The hits just kept coming and Ty felt battered and bruised inside. Him and Kelly getting captured. The attack on his ship. The would-be assassination of Elias. The damn armada. The attacks on those ships. Ash losing his entire ship and crewmates. The automatons. _Owen_. The death of one of his men without him knowing.

And now Zane’s past. Zane’s former life. Zane’s motherfucking lies.

For ten years.

Ty scrubbed his hands down his face, his feet taking him deeper into the city. People jostled him on all sides, but he didn’t pay attention. Stall owners shouted at him, hawking wares, but he ignored them. He flipped a few coins at some street urchins purely by habit.

He was failing some massive cosmic test, he was sure of it now. He’d failed his men. He’d become so blind he didn’t notice one of them was a robot and that the man who shared his goddamn bed wasn’t who he’d said he was. He should have pushed Zane whenever Zane dodged questions about his past. He should have kept a closer eye on Owen. He should have protected Kelly.

Should have.

Could have.

Would have.

Didn’t.

And that was the simple truth of the matter. He didn’t. He’d missed so much and failed so spectacularly when it came to his men and his ship. His heart ached. His mind spun through every happy memory of him and Zane over the past decade.

That drove the pain up to a near crushing level. He had to stop, ducking into a narrow alleyway to catch his breath and keep from completely shattering in public.

His mind warred with itself. Part of him whispered that it didn’t matter who Zane had been before Ty’d met him—that it had absolutely no bearing on their relationship now. That it wasn’t too dissimilar from Ty being an orphan and a thief before Zane came into his life. The other part of him snapped back that it did matter inasmuch as Zane had purposefully kept it from Ty because he didn’t trust him. And that’s what sliced deep. So deep, he couldn’t see the bottom of the hurt. Ty had told Zane _everything_. Regaled him with stories late at night while they lay in bed together of his shenanigans growing up. He’d joked around about ex-lovers. He’d told Zane about jobs that’d gone sour. About every time Ty’d been captured or arrested, leaving Nick and Kelly and Deuce to come rescue his ass.

_Zane was there when you lost your arm. He saved you from drowning when the Baron took you and Kelly. He’s always had your back when it counted. He’s never lied about loving you._

Frustration and anger churned inside his gut, boiling over and spilling into his extremities. With a choked yell, he spun, driving his metal fist into the stone wall. The wall crunched under the impact, fissures spiderwebbing out from the depression. Some tiny, not Zane-focused part of him was impressed at Nick’s masterwork when his hand didn’t break. In fact, other than a couple of scratches across the knuckles, the hand was fine.

"Shouldn’t beat up buildings, Grady. Not really a fair fight."

Ty closed his eyes for a moment then turned to face one of the Smith & Wesson twins. “Not today. Not in the mood.”

"Too bad." The man leered at him.

Ty’s hands curled into fists. “You really don’t want to mess with me today.”

The barrel of a gun pressed into Ty’s back. “Actually, I do,” came the voice of the other twin.

Inwardly, Ty cursed himself up and down for not detecting the other twin. Then he cursed Nick up and down for not giving him a weapon in his new arm yet.

Finally, he cursed Zane again because why not.

"Move, Grady." The gun dug into his spine.

"And if I don’t?" Ty kept his eyes on the twin in front of him, but opened his senses to his surroundings, looking for any way out of this.

"I shoot you in the back and we carry you."

"So what you’re saying is I have options."

The twin frowned at him and pulled his own gun, leveling it at Ty’s face. “How about I just shoot you in the face?”

"Three options, then."

"Do you ever shut up?" The twin behind him growled.

"Not usually." He grinned widely at the one in front of him, stretching his face a little too cheerful. The twin frowned.

The gun pressed against him harder. “I said move.”

Ty gave a long-suffering sigh. “And I said no.” He tilted his head to one side. “You idiots realize that if you both shoot, you’ll kill each other, right?”

The look that crossed the twin’s face nearly made Ty double over laughing. He felt the gun in his back move a fraction and he took his opportunity. He ducked and spun, driving his foot into the knee of the man behind him. The man howled in pain, his gun firing and narrowly missing his brother. Ty covered his head and took off running, staying low and moving fast. He heard yells and cussing and footsteps pounding after him. Bullets smacked the wall as he ran. One of the bullets landed home in his shoulder and he pitched forward as pain lanced through him. He hit the wall with a grunt, pushed off, and kept running, hoping the bullet had gone straight through and wasn’t lodged somewhere in the socket.

Fuck, he wasn’t as familiar with the Roman provinces as Zane was. His gut cramped and he pushed all thoughts of Zane out of his head. Not now. He couldn’t dwell on him now. Right now, Ty needed to live through this chase. He skidded around a corner, swallowing a cry of pain as his injured shoulder slammed into a beam sticking out of the wall. He clutched his shoulder and ran, feeling warmth and wetness seeping through his fingers. He pulled a gun from his thigh holster, his now bloodied fingers sliding across the grip. He turned another corner, spinning to fire behind him as he ran.

Ty hit the end of an alley and windmilled as he nearly pitched over a sixty-foot drop onto train tracks. Of course, it would be a dead fucking end. He stared at the drop then judged the distance over the gap. Too far to jump and absolutely no handholds down the smooth stone wall. He spun around, looking to either side and was about to start scaling the buildings to the roof when a train whistle echoed down the tracks. A massive, gleaming steam engine rounded the bend and surged down the gap, drawing a seemingly endless chain of silver and black cars behind it.

Was he really going to…

Footsteps pounded down the alley.

Yes. Yes, he was.

Guns boomed and a bullet sliced through his duster, missing his thigh by an inch. The engine roared past and a morse code of cars and gaps flew by.

Now or never.

He blew out a heavy breath and jumped. Pain flared in his ankle as a bullet grazed him and then he hit the roof of a car with a thud hard enough to drive the rest of the air from his lungs. The momentum of the speeding train jerked him into a roll down the length of the car, heading for the gap. He flailed, scrabbling for a handhold as he rolled. His metal fingers closed around a small bar, halting his progress with a thunk. He sprawled on his back, gulping air over the roaring of the rushing train.

Ty lifted his head right as the twins hit the end of the alley and, after only hesitating a moment, jumped onto the train about ten cars back.

Fuck.

He rolled to his side and pushed to his feet, clenching his teeth as pain stabbed through his ankle. He could run, but it was slower and limping. He had no idea what he was going to do when he hit the front of the train, though. Jump off?

"Ty!"

Ty whirled around, shocked at the skiff skimming along the air currents next to the train. His shock turned to apprehension as he saw Owen at the controls. “Owen?”

"And me." Deuce popped up from the deck and wiped his hands on his pants. "Come on!" He extended his metal arm. Owen reached out and grabbed Deuce’s other wrist for support while he steered the skiff.

Ty hesitated for a fraction of a second then grabbed Deuce’s arm, growling as his injured shoulder took the brunt of his weight. He fired several shots at the twins, forcing them to duck and flatten on the roof. Deuce pulled, his arm straining but managing to support all of Ty’s weight. Ty stowed his gun and swung his other hand up, grabbing the side of the skiff and pulling himself up. He rolled over the railing and toppled to the floorboards, gasping for breath and holding his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Owen yelled over the wind and the train. He banked the craft away, turning it toward the harbor.

"Made friends with some bullets but I’ll live." Ty pulled himself to a sit. He eyed Owen for a long moment.

Owen returned his gaze unwaveringly. Deuce stayed quiet.

"Thanks," Ty said gruffly.

Owen nodded once and turned back to the controls.

~*~

Zane stood in the middle of an opulent room that he guessed was what his mother referred to as the salon. It just looked like a fancy living room to him. Plush couches were arranged in various configurations to form intimate sitting areas. Glass-topped tables decorated the spaces in between. But he didn’t really see all the finery or the gilding.

All he saw was the look on Ty’s face.

Betrayal.

Anger.

_Hurt._

His gut churned and his lungs ached. He wanted to go find Ty and do whatever he had to do to apologize and fix this. At this point, he’d be willing to do _anything_.

"You know," a deep voice drawled from the doorway. "If you didn’t want to marry the girl, all you had to do was say, ‘Dad, I don’t want to marry the girl.’ Faking your death seems a little over the top. And I really liked that car."

A small smile tugged at Zane’s mouth as he turned to face the man. “Hey, Dad.”

Unlike his wife, Harrison Garrett had aged over the last two decades but it was a graceful aging. His eyes sparkled and his tan that of one who spent nearly every day outdoors. Laugh lines streaked from the corners of his eyes and carved deep around his mouth. His mustache was thick as it always been. He gestured to one of the couches with a weathered hand.

As they sat, Harrison passed Zane a small object that turned out to be a sleek sort of breathing aid. Zane frowned at it as he put it to his mouth and inhaled. Cold air flooded his lungs, easing the burning and opening up his airways. “Mother wasn’t surprised to see me. You don’t seem to be either.”

Harrison folded his hands over his belly. “We’ve known you were alive for about five years now.”

"Since this happened." Zane tapped his chest.

Harrison nodded. “Your mother never believed you died in the accident since we never recovered a body. She was convinced you’d been kidnapped. She waited for a ransom and, when none ever came, she assumed you’d either been turned or killed.”

Zane wasn’t sure what to think of that. “And you?”

"I believed you were alive. Where and how and why, I didn’t know."

Zane sat and focused on breathing, figuring he’d do better just to listen to his father talk than try to ask a lot of questions.

Harrison shifted slightly. “Your mother put out feelers anyway, just in case you were still alive. Mostly through all the legal channels.” One eyebrow bounced. “And a few illegal. However, as far as I know, the gas was whoever-nabbed-you’s idea. We wanted you back healthy.” He sighed. “I wanted you back on your own terms.”

Zane frowned. He moved the mask away so he could speak. “What?”

Harrison ran his fingers and thumb over his mustache as he looked over Zane’s shoulder and out the window. “You went out and made a life for yourself, Z. It may not be above board but what really is nowadays.” He looked back at his son. “Did you marry that boy?”

The mere mention of Ty sent a slice of pain through his chest. Zane could barely manage a shrug of one shoulder and a half nod. “No ceremonies or flowers but…”

Harrison nodded. “Good.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a long moment.

"So what’s your plan?"

Zane arched an eyebrow. “Plan? Mother had me collected from the street.”

Harrison snorted. “That’s because you were sighted. She was just exerting her influence. She’s been regaining ground ever since you run off and that deal fell through.”

"Deal." Zane shook his head.

"Marriage is a transaction among families in our corner of the world. You know that." Harrison sniffed and scratched his jaw. "That’s why I was happy you got out."

Zane stared at his father. He knew that his parents’ marriage was a loveless one, but he’d never even stopped to think that his father might actually be unhappy and would wish for his son to have a different life.

Even if it was the uncertain life of a pirate.

Harrison’s smile was soft and knowing. “Don’t look at me like that. Your mother has the big house. I built myself a nice cabin good and far away from her, deep on the property.”

"You’re by yourself?"

"I have a dog, a few horses, and a four hundred year old car sitting in a shed under a tarp." Harrison tilted his head. "Your mother runs the business and passes her laws. I step in when her hand gets a little too high, but mostly I stay out of it. Annie picked her husband and will take over whenever Beverly passes. She’ll inherit everything."

Zane knew he’d been cut out of the family dynamic twenty years ago but hearing it laid out so simply in his father’s even tone still stung a little.

Then, Harrison smiled and pulled a small black card from his pocket. He set it on the table between them. “Everything except this.”

Zane hesitated then reached for the card. It had no writing and was slightly opaque. The corners were rounded and there was a magnetic strip along one of the long edges. He raised his eyebrows at his father.

"That will open a gate to an extensive property in the Americas that will move to your name when I pass on. Before you get your hackles up, it’s not in the Texan States. It’s much further south along the land bridge between the two major continents. It’s right on the Caribbean. It’s warm. The air is clean. You can breathe down there, son. There’s a nice big house and plenty of space to build more of them should your crew want to retire with you."

"Retire?" Zane echoed through his surprise.

"If my math isn’t off, you’re near forty now, right?"

Zane nodded.

"Pushing the limits as a pirate, aren’t you?"

Another nod.

Harrison gestured to the card. “Retirement. Your mother doesn’t know about it. And, even if she did find out, there’s nothing she can do. It’s one hundred percent mine and I’m willing it to you.”

Zane stared at the card in his hand. Shock wasn’t a strong enough word for the emotion Zane felt. “But…I ran away.”

"Son, if I’d had half the balls you did at that age, I would’ve done the same thing. But I did what I thought was my duty and it got me you and your sister. And I’ll take sixteen years of you over none at all." The words came out simply and calmly, but Zane heard the undercurrent of strong emotion under them.

Pride.

Harrison gestured to the mask. “Keep that. Sounds like you need it. I’m sure you need to get back to your ship.”

Zane’s gaze snapped up. “What? But Mother wanted—”

"Contrary to popular opinion, Beverly doesn’t always get what she wants." Harrison stood. "You best get going before she shows up, though."

Zane stood slowly. He hesitated for a moment, then rounded the table and wrapped his arms around his father. Tears threatened the corners of his eyes as he held on tight. Harrison chuckled and held Zane just as tightly, clearly pleased at the gesture.

"Thank you," Zane whispered. He pulled away and swiped a hand across his eyes.

"Is there anything else you need before you go?" Harrison’s eyes looked a little glassy like he might have teared up but his voice was steady.

Zane snorted. “A way to apologize to Ty for lying to him all these years?”

"Afraid I can’t help you with that one. I never apologize for lying." Harrison’s smile was borderline evil.

Zane laughed then paused as he had a sudden thought. “Actually, there’s one thing maybe you could get for me. It’s in the lab.”

~*~

Nick held two mugs of beer high above his head as he wound through the crowded bar to the table in the back corner where Kelly sat. Nick frowned as he got closer. Kelly was fiddling with the buckles on one of his cuffs and staring aimlessly at the table. He’d pushed his goggles up onto this forehead since the table was tucked back into a shadowy corner and very little light filtered through the grimy windows. Nick had brought Kelly here for two reasons—to get Kelly away from the palace and to keep Nick from storming back in with a gun.

Nick hated it when Kelly didn’t smile. It was too much of his personality missing. Nick rolled his shoulders back and put on an easy smile as he approached the table and slid into a seat next to Kelly. “Liquid libations.”

Kelly snorted and reached for a mug, his fingers trembling. Nick sipped his beer and waited. He knew if Kelly wanted to talk, he would eventually. Until then, Nick was content to sit with him and drink.

They’d finished half their beers before Kelly glanced at him, his near-white eyes still making Nick’s breath catch a little.

"I suppose I should have realized I’d run into one of them sooner or later, huh?"

Nick shrugged. “World’s a big place. No guarantees and you know that.”

Kelly rolled his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “Sorry about the freak out.”

Nick shook his head. “No need. We all have something that scares us. I’m just glad I was there for yours this time.”

 _This time._ The allusion to Kelly’s captivity settled between them. Kelly gave him a thin smile and reached out to grab Nick’s fingers. He kissed them chastely and dropped their linked hands to his lap.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Nick asked.

The corner of Kelly’s mouth ticked upward. “Like shoot her?”

Nick grinned and shrugged one shoulder. Kelly laughed. “You would, wouldn’t you?”

"Probably. I really want to," Nick admitted.

Kelly laughed harder, his eyes scrunching up. “You’re such a romantic.”

Nick laughed and tugged on their joined hands until Kelly slid sideways in his chair. Their lips met in the midst of the laughter and the weight that’d blanketed Nick’s shoulders lifted. “You know I would, right? If you needed me to.”

Kelly nodded as he sat up straight again. “I know.”

They sat in silence again, drinking their beers.

Kelly blew out a hard breath. “Her name is Doctor Scott. I don’t know her first name. If she has one. Deuce thinks the doctors may have been Auggies. She…” his smile was a little bitter. “She was really nice to me before everything happened. Told me I was really special. That I was going to do great things and help lots of people.”

Nick’s fingers flexed around his glass. He watched frown lines appear between Kelly’s brows and around his mouth.

"When she put the drops in my eyes and they hurt, she…ah…."

"Kels."

He shook his head fiercely. “She told me to suck it up and be a man. A ten-year-old. Be a man. When I kept crying, she told me I wasn’t as special as she thought. Then she never really spoke to me again beyond yelling at me to shut up. Just ordered people around and had them hold me down every time.”

Nick gripped his glass as a wave of protective anger swept through him.

"She slapped me once. When I fought back."

Nick blinked at Kelly and took a moment to compose himself before trusting his voice to stay steady. “I take back what I said about shooting her. Would you like to do it?”

Kelly smiled at him. “Maybe. If I actually see the bitch.” He tipped the rest of his beer into his mouth and set the empty mug down with a thunk. He pulled his goggles back down. “Eyes hurt,” he mumbled.

"You’re going longer without them," Nick offered.

"In the dark, yeah," Kelly grumbled, his frustration evident.

"Come on." Nick stood.

"Where are we going?" Kelly stood and smiled as Nick slid an arm around his shoulders.

"Well, there’s a festival outside."

"What about Ty and Zane?"

Nick sighed. “I know, but they’re big kids and they need to work out their own shit.” He pressed his nose into Kelly’s hair and smiled. “Lots of shiny things in the crowd.”

Kelly’s arm tightened around his waist and he hummed a happy sound as they left the bar and disappeared into the crowd.

~*~

Ty grimaced as he landed on the deck. He limped toward the main cabin, shooting a glare at Deuce as he fell into step beside him to help. Deuce smirked but didn’t say anything until the door was shut behind them.

Ty opened his mouth but Deuce pointed at him with one metal finger. “Shut up, Tyler.”

Ty was so shocked, his mouth snapped shut.

Deuce rolled his eyes and helped Ty take off his jacket and shirt so he could look at the bullet wound. “I know what you’re going to jump down my throat about so you might as well save it.”

Ty growled as Deuce probed the wound in his shoulder.

Deuce shook his head. “You’re welcome for saving your ass, by the way.”

"I said thank you," Ty grumbled.

"Don’t hurt yourself tripping over your gratitude. It was Owen who knew to go get you."

Ty raised his eyebrows.

"I showed him how to hack his network. Kid caught on pretty fast, actually. First bit of information he picked up was your chase."

"My chase?"

Deuce pressed a rag to the front of Ty’s shoulder. “Turns out your bounty hunter twins? Bots.”

"Mother fucker. I am really damn tired of everyone being a fucking gearhead." Ty looked down at his ankle which was bleeding onto the carpet.

"Says the man with the metal arm," Deuce said as he knelt to pull Ty’s boot off.

"That doesn’t count," Ty huffed.

Deuce snorted as he examined the cut across Ty’s ankle. “Needs stitches.”

"When did you become a doctor?"

"Who do you think taught Kelly, asshole?" Deuce rose smoothly and folded his arms. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Ty.

"What?" Ty demanded.

"Spill. Why were you alone? Where’s Zane?"

Ty blew out a hard breath, pain settling in his chest at the mere mention of Zane. “You know the Carter family from the Americas?”

"The Texan States royal family? Yeah." Deuce sat in a nearby chair and crossed one ankle over his knee.

"Zane’s their oldest son."

Deuce blinked at him. “Say that again?”

"Zane Garrett is actually Zachary Carter, oldest son of the Carter family. A fucking prince. Faked his death when he was sixteen to get out of some marriage."

Deuce nodded slowly. “Huh.”

"That’s all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

Ty folded his arms and refused to answer.

Deuce frowned. “You guys fought?”

Ty nodded.

"Bad?"

"I hit him."

"Christ, Tyler." Deuce rubbed a hand down his face.

"He kept it from me!" Ty protested violently. His shoulder was on fire, his ankle burned, and was starting to feel like nothing made sense anymore. Everyone around him was either lying to him or made of fucking metal.

"Did he give you a reason why?" Deuce asked calmly.

"He said he didn’t trust me."

Deuce arched an eyebrow. “And?”

"And what?" Ty frowned even though he knew exactly what Deuce was aiming for.

"Ty."

Ty sighed. “He said he didn’t trust me or any of us at first. Then after that he said…he said he was scared of losing me if I found out.”

"Was he right to be afraid?"

Ty pointed at Deuce as he stood, needing to move and pace and do something. “Don’t.”

"Don’t what? Was he?"

Ty raked his hands through his hair. “I don’t know.”

"Fucking hell, Ty. Really? You don’t know? You’ve been with the man for a decade."

"Exactly!" Ty threw his hands in the air.

Deuce pinched the bridge of his nose. “So he didn’t tell you about something that happened when he was a teenager. Something that, it sounds like, he probably wanted to forget ever existed. And, what, you want to throw away ten years with him because of something that happened before you two even met?”

"You’re on his side?" Ty stared at Deuce in shock.

Deuce mimed a neck throttling motion at Ty. “There is no _side_ here is what I’m trying to tell you. It’s in his past. _You_ are his now.”

"Stop with the fortune cookie bullshit."

"Don’t make me hit you," Deuce warned.

"Bite me, Deuce." Ty paced up and down the cabin, ignoring the pain in his ankle.

"Very mature, Beaumont."

Silence fell thick and heavy between them.

After a long moment, Deuce shook his head. “Where is he?”

"The Roman Palace with mommy dearest. Who is a real piece of work, let me tell you."

"Was it a happy reunion?"

Ty snorted. “Hell no. Zane looked like he wanted to stab her.”

"So, he’s not staying with them?"

Ty shrugged. “Don’t know.”

"Ty," Deuce said softly. "Do you really want to kick him off the boat and never see him again? Because that’s what it comes down to."

Ty stopped pacing and stared at Deuce for a long time. The pain pulsed through his body. Real pain from his wounds. Emotional pain from Zane. Deuce was right, though. There was no way Ty could ever bring himself to kick Zane out. He leaned against the wall and rubbed his chest as if he could rub away the ache.

"You need to find him."

Ty nodded and stared at the floor. The backs of his eyes burned.

"No, there’s something else Owen learned." Deuce stood. "Your other two ships were successful and are returning with the parts they were sent to fetch. The mercs you sent to assassinate the Baron? Found him. And got their asses kicked. They’re limping back but the Baron is on his way here."

"The actual Baron or one of his tin can clones?" Ty asked.

Deuce shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. Either way, he’ll be here tomorrow. My guess is he’ll meet up with Warrior’s Cross and launch an attack. You should get your men back on board and leave.”

"Run?" Ty pushed off the wall and straightened, smoothing his shirt and swallowing a wince when his shoulder moved.

"Ty."

Ty flashed Deuce a cocky grin. “We don’t run, D.” He held up his metal arm and made a fist. “Besides, I still need to repay them for this.”


	18. What's Yours is Mine and What's Mine is Mine

_2353: 8th District of the Netherland Colonies_

It was supposed to be an easy job. In and out. Bust the safe, take a cut for themselves, and “redistribute the wealth” by leaving it all over the city’s poorest areas.

It was not supposed to involve three explosions, running over rooftops, and bounty hunters.

And it _certainly_ was not supposed to involve what Ty stood in front of right now.

"No. Fucking. Way."

"Ty." Zane’s voice held a tinge of exasperation as Nick snapped the panel shut on the last of the automaton horses.

Ty glared at the massive metal monstrosities. The five horses blew steam from their nostrils and pawed the ground with dark copper feet. Exposed copper and steel ribbing formed the shape while an amalgam of gears, compressors, chains, and who-the-fuck-knew-what covered the beasts. Their large eyes glowed deep yellow.

"No." Ty folded his arms.

"Get on the damn horse, Ty." Nick swung up onto a horse.

"It’s not like it can bite," Kelly quipped as he hopped nimbly onto another one.

"I’m not getting on a horse."

Digger snickered as he pulled himself onto another and backed it away from the building.

Zane looked at the sky as if it could provide him more patience. “We’re being chased, doll. We need to move faster.” He mounted a fourth horse and pointed to the final one. “Get on the horse.”

Ty stared at the animal in apprehension. It snorted at him and slung its head, the metal joints grinding. “Fuck,” he muttered as he grabbed the spikes that comprised the horse’s mane and hauled himself up. His knees pressed against a lever on each side of the horse’s body and he gathered up a set of cords that functioned as reins. He pulled the horse around and squeezed his knees, sending the horse into an immediate canter after the others.

The group sped down the road, hoofs pounding, clouds of steam streaming, legs grinding and churning. The horse Ty rode put its head down and stretched its neck out, forcing Ty to hunch down. Over the thundering and grinding of the horses, Ty heard the steady drone of a skiff coming up fast behind them. He risked a look over his shoulder and cussed to himself when he saw Smith & Wesson getting closer by the second.

He pulled his gun from his thigh holster and twisted around to fire behind him. The gun kicked in his hand, the gunshot making him flinch. He didn’t even try to hit them, knowing it was nearly impossible with all the movement. But he wanted to make them think twice about their chase.

They kept coming.

And they had guns. Big ones.

The horses veered suddenly down another path causing Ty to flail and nearly drop his gun. “Warn me before the fucking horses turn again!”

"Would you like a flashing light?" Kelly yelled with a grin. He looked like he was having the time of his life—not running for his life.

Ty flipped him off as Nick laughed.

A gun boomed and pain hotter than hell sliced through Ty’s outstretched arm. The force of the impact threw him forward into the horse’s neck, his temple smacking the metal ridge of the mane. He heard shouting as he tipped and he scrabbled for purchase, dimly wondering why he couldn’t move his right arm.

Gunfire. Yelling.

The ground rushed up to meet him, knocking the breath out of his body. He rolled, ending up on his back, gasping and trying to inflate his lungs. He heard gunfire in the distance and more shouting. A pair of knees hit the ground next to him and Kelly’s face blocked his view of the sky.

"Don’t move," Kelly was saying. He’d pushed his glasses into his hair, his too-bright eyes narrowed and focused on Ty’s arm.

"Can’t…breathe…" Ty managed between gasps. He tried to lift his arm to grab his chest but only his shoulder moved and an intense burning shot through his shoulder and down his arm. A scream ripped from his lips as the pain doubled and pounded and tripled and burned. Was his arm actually on fire?

He started to turn his head but Kelly put a hand on Ty’s forehead. “Don’t look. Trust me.”

"What?" Ty coughed and managed to pull in a lungful of air. Panic gripped his insides at the look on Kelly’s face. "What’s going on?"

Kelly muttered a string of curses and dug through his bag. He pulled out a handkerchief and a leather strap. “This will have to do.”

"Do for what?" Ty tried to turn his head again but Kelly stopped him. "Fucking hell, Doc, cut it out. Let me see."

Another pair of knees hit the dirt next to him. Zane’s hands landed on Ty’s face and his chest. “Ty, look at me.”

Ty obeyed, his heart twisting at the frightened look on Zane’s face. “Baby?” His next words were choked off in a hoarse cry of pain as Kelly wrapped Ty’s arm just under his armpit with the leather strap and pulled tight. He wrapped the cloth around Ty’s bicep.

Ty gasped, blinking rapidly to keep his vision clear. The pain swamped him, threatening to pull him completely under. “I can’t move my arm, Zane.”

"I know." Zane pushed his fingers through Ty’s hair. "I know. Just hang on. We’ll find a doctor."

"A doctor?" Ty echoed through his haze. "But Kelly…"

"I can’t fix this," Kelly said softly. He rocked back on his heels and propped his arms on his knees.

That’s when Ty saw the blood coating Kelly’s hands. Dark. Red. Thick. He started trembling, a chill rolling over his body.

"Ty? Stay with me, baby." Zane’s voice sounded further away as darkness crowded in the edges.

"No, it’s probably better if he passes out." Nick’s voice joined the group. Worry laced his tone.

Ty fought the shock and pain with everything he had left and wrenched his head to the side before anyone could stop him. The last image he had before he blacked out was his arm at a completely unnatural angle, splinters of bone, mangled muscle, and the blood-stained ground.

The return to consciousness was like trying to surface through quicksand. Ty’s brain was awake, albeit fuzzy around the edges. His eyelids refused to open and his entire body was one dead weight. He had no idea where he was but it was soft. A bed? He strained his hearing, picking up faint beeps and the whir of something mechanical.

He managed to get his eyes cracked open. A headache thudded through his skull and down the back of his neck. A groan escaped his dry lips.

Immediately, there was shuffling and the left side of the bed dipped with weight. “Ty?”

Oh, Zane’s voice was heaven.

"Zane?" His voice sounded like he’d swallowed sandpaper. He forced his eyes to focus on the man sitting on the edge of the bed. Bruises darkened the skin under Zane’s eyes and his hair stuck out at odd angles like he’d been constantly running his hands through it.

Zane smiled, relief evident in every line of his face. “Hey.”

Ty frowned at him, still trying to clear the cotton from his head. “What…”

Zane cupped Ty’s cheek and rubbed a thumb over his lips. “Don’t try to talk. Just rest.”

Ty battled his way through the haze. “What’s going on?”

Zane sighed and rubbed a palm over the stubble on his cheek. “You’ve been out for a week. We’re at a hospital in the twelfth district. And don’t worry,” he held up a hand at Ty’s widening eyes, “I tried to do the fake name thing but your doctor recognized us from when we left quite a bit of money at this hospital a few months ago. It’s the least they can do for the ‘Robin Hood Pirates.’” He hooked his fingers in the air and smiled.

"A week?" Ty croaked. What the hell happened to him that he’d been out for a week? He started to move his head to look around but Zane cupped his chin and turned his face back to himself.

"Do you remember being shot?" Zane asked carefully.

Ty’s heart started to pound and his vision crowded with spots as he grew light-headed. “Not really.”

"What’s the last thing you remember?"

Ty blinked as he tried to sort through the memories. “The job. Something…blowing up. A horse. You made me ride a horse, you fucker.”

Zane grinned. “You looked damn hot on the horse. I’m not sorry.”

Ty huffed and tried to move past the horse. “Guns. I just remember guns. There’s nothing after that.”

Zane licked his lips. “You were shot in the arm.” His hand tightened on Ty’s chin when Ty tried to look. “It was bad.”

"How bad?" As feeling slowly returned to his sluggish and sedated body, Ty realized his right arm felt…weird.

Zane rubbed his mouth and, when he inhaled, it shook and Ty realized his lover was swallowing a torrent of emotion. “Zane, talk to me. Please.”

"You lost a lot of blood. A hell of a lot of blood. We got you here and they didn’t know if you…" He cleared his throat. "They managed to stop the bleeding before it killed you, but they couldn’t save your arm."

Ty stared at Zane, trying to process the words. Zane’s fingers slipped off his chin and he pressed his lips together in a thin line. Ty’s heart flipped around his chest as he turned his head slowly to look at his right shoulder.

"Oh…god…"

Bandages covered his shoulder, winding around his bare chest to keep the main wrapping in place. But, beyond the shapeless mass of bandages was…nothing.

"My arm’s gone," Ty whispered.

Zane’s hand slid into Ty’s and he held on. Ty couldn’t stop staring, some part of him thinking he’d blink and his arm would reappear. He could _swear_ it was still there. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real.

"I don’t…" He pulled in a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"The bullet shattered the bone and pretty much everything around it. Some sort of explosive round. It was a wonder your arm stayed attached as much as it did. It would have taken countless surgeries to reattach it properly and, even then, you wouldn’t have had full use of your arm," Zane explained, his voice staying level and calm.

"So my only option was no arm?" Ty’s eyes went wide and anger bubbled up. "Did anyone think that I might want to have a say in this?"

"Ty—"

"What the fuck, Zane? It’s my _arm_. I should have a fucking say!” Dizziness swirled up his throat and into his head and he collapsed back into the pillows. He tried to push away the panic. What the hell was he going to do with one arm? Could he even still be a pirate with one arm? Would Zane still want him?

"I know," Zane soothed. "You nearly died, Ty. I picked whatever would save your life. And I’d do it again."

Ty looked at Zane, some of his anger ebbing at the haunted fear in Zane’s eyes. “You haven’t left this room have you?”

Zane shook his head. “Didn’t want to be gone in case you needed me.”

Ty tugged on Zane’s hand. Zane leaned over and sighed as their lips met. He captured Ty’s lower lip between his teeth and sucked on it gently before slipping his tongue into Ty’s mouth. Ty moaned softly and freed his hand so he could grab Zane’s hair. Zane’s hand slid behind Ty’s neck and supported his head while he thoroughly explored Ty’s mouth. Heat rolled through Ty’s body and all he wanted was for Zane to crawl into bed with him right now.

Zane smiled against Ty’s lips as if he could read his mind. He pulled away with a faint groan and ghosted his lips over Ty’s cheekbone. “You need to heal.”

"I’m fine."

Zane snorted as he sat up again. “You’re down a limb.”

"Flesh wound."

"At least you have a sense of humor about it," Zane muttered.

"It’s either that or cry." Ty frowned at his empty shoulder. "I’m sure the crying will come later when I actually realize I’m not dreaming."

Zane ran his hand up and down Ty’s other arm.

Ty rested his head against the pillows as exhaustion tried to claim him again. “What happens now?”

Zane shifted on the bed. “It’s still healing but the doctor fitted your shoulder with a synthetic dock.”

"A what?" Ty looked at his shoulder in confusion.

"I can explain all the technical shit if you want. It was pretty fascinating actually how the wiring—"

"Zane."

"It’s so you can attach a prosthetic," Zane said carefully, watching Ty’s face for his reactions.

Ty blinked. “Darlin’, my brain hurts. Spell it out for me.”

Zane smiled. “Nick and Deuce are building you an automaton arm. It won’t have any skin covering because none of us have access to that but it’ll work. They say, with some practice, you should be able to use it like a normal limb.”

The headache balled up behind Ty’s eyes and pushed on them, trying to crack the sockets. He closed his eyes with a faint groan. “Tell Nick I want a gun instead,” he mumbled.

Zane’s lips brushed his forehead. “I’ll talk to him. Sleep.”

~*~

Owen wasn’t sure what to expect when Deuce came out of the cabin. He’d lingered by the railing where the skiff bobbed, waiting. Waiting for the inevitable he guessed. Ty to throw him off the ship.

Possibly even literally.

Owen stared at his hands. They looked human. They felt human. He had grease and dirt under his fingernails. But he couldn’t deny that his insides were different. Ever since Deuce had removed the switch from his head, Owen’s brain felt…smoother. He could recall every detail from the first moment of his existence in perfect clarity. His human memories warred with his android memories, though. Deuce had told him that his brain created fake memories to make up for the lost time when he was “being evil” as Owen called it. His mind would eventually scrub the false memories but, for now, it was like looking at two different pictures placed over each other. Nothing matched up. The color muddied. Lines blurred into each other.

It was weird knowing that, with the exception of a head shot, he couldn’t die. He didn’t need to breathe so falling in the ocean wasn’t an issue. He couldn’t bleed to death. Hell, Deuce walked around with half his skin missing.

Creepy.

He would never age.

That was the oddest feeling. Knowing that everyone around him would get older and he’d stay looking barely thirty for either eternity or whenever his parts gave up.

"You keep thinking that hard, you’ll overheat."

Owen smirked at Deuce. “Android joke?”

Deuce shrugged and rested his elbows on the railing. Owen could only see the human side of Deuce’s face and it made him feel a little better. He looked out at the ocean. “So am I being thrown overboard?”

"Not yet. Ty’s a little preoccupied with an even bigger bombshell than you, if you can believe it."

Owen raised his eyebrows. His jaw dropped as Deuce filled him in on the Zane situation. He searched through his memory banks, wondering if he’d already known that but came up empty. Zane had hid it from everyone. And he’d hid it so well, even the Baron’s network didn’t know.

"Wow," was all he could manage.

Deuce chuckled. “Yeah. That’s one word for it.”

"So, Zane is gone?"

Deuce shrugged. “No idea. I hope not. Ty’s better with him. I’ve known that for ten years.”

Owen nodded. “Can you imagine what the Baron would have done with that information?”

"I really don’t want to think about it, actually." Deuce rubbed his forehead. He glanced at Owen. "You know, you don’t have to wait for Ty to kick you off the boat."

"What do you mean?"

Deuce turned to face Owen, leaning a hip on the railing and folding his arms across his chest. “If you’re uncomfortable here, you can leave on your own.”

Owen frowned, glancing at the skiff. “Thought about it.”

"And?"

"I’d feel like I was abandoning everyone. Which is ridiculous."

"No, it isn’t. You’ve been with these guys a long time."

Owen snorted. “Two years.”

Deuce tapped Owen’s head. “You have eight years of memories up here. It doesn’t matter if you were flesh and bone or flesh and metal.”

Owen laughed. “Ever thought about being a guru?”

Deuce grinned. “Sit on a mountaintop and spit out fortune cookie bullshit? No, thank you.”

A drone caught their attention and they looked over the railing to see a small craft speeding toward the ship. Owen frowned until he caught sight of Nick’s red hair. “Irish and Doc.”

Deuce nodded. “That’s good. Someone should probably go fetch the rest of them. Everyone should be on board when the Baron shows up.”

Owen glanced at the skiff. “I could.”

Deuce patted him on the shoulder. “Go. I’ll deal with Ty.”

Owen huffed. “I’m not going to steal the skiff or hurt the other guys.”

"I know. And, whether or not you believe me, so does Ty. He’s just feeling a bit betrayed by a lot of shit right now. He’s Ty. You gotta give him time to marinate."

Owen nodded and hopped over the railing into the skiff. He glanced back at Deuce. “Hey, D?”

Deuce raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks for sticking with me through all this."

"As the representing gearhead on board, I believe it fell to me by default," Deuce said. "But I wanted to. You’re a good man, Owen."

Owen swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat and nodded as he revved the skiff and pulled away from the ship.

~*~

Nick pressed a coin purse into the weathered hand of the boat captain and thanked him for the ferry as Kelly scampered up the rope ladder to Sidewinder’s deck. His pockets were full of loot and pulled at his pants a little. Nick shook his head and laughed, swinging onto the ladder and climbing. He hopped the railing and smiled at Deuce. “D.”

"O." Deuce smirked. "Successful shopping venture?"

Nick watched Kelly climb to the second level and disappear down the deck, presumably to squirrel away his findings. “I would say so. Monkey seems pleased.”

Deuce laughed.

Nick glanced at the closed cabin door. “Any of the others back yet?”

"Just Ty. He’s been shot."

Nick blinked at Deuce. “Say again?”

Deuce shook his head. “It’s a through and through in his shoulder. Graze on his ankle. He just needs some stitches.”

"You sound pissed at him."

Deuce raised an eyebrow and shrugged one shoulder. “He told me about Zane.”

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Nick eyed the cabin. “He’s still pissed.”

Deuce bobbed his head from side to side. “Not so much pissed as hurt.”

Nick spotted Kelly jogging back down the second level deck. “Kels!”

"Yo!"

"Ty has a hole in his shoulder!"

Kelly stopped mid-jog and leaned his elbows on the railing. “Did you shoot him?”

Nick laughed. “Not this time.”

"Where is he?"

Nick pointed at the cabin. Kelly tapped two fingers to his eyebrow in salute and jogged away.

The cabin door opened and Ty limped out. He paused when he saw Nick and Deuce, his eyes narrowing. “Where’s Owen?”

"He took the skiff to go get the others and bring them back to the ship," Deuce answered.

Nick’s eyebrows rose but he said nothing. Ty frowned then nodded. “Okay.”

Deuce smiled.

The thrum of a boat engine interrupted the moment. Nick turned around, his stomach flipping at the small craft zipping across the water toward them. It was dark blue with silver accents. He recognized the dark head of hair at the helm and blew out a heavy breath. “Here we go.”

Deuce looked over his shoulder. “Do we need to stand between them?”

Nick swallowed a laugh at Deuce’s dry tone. “Be prepared for anything.”

Kelly appeared on the deck with a black bag and grinned at Ty. “I hear you had an unfortunate run-in with a bullet.”

Ty pointed to his shoulder without taking his eyes off the approaching boat. Nick watched him carefully, trying to get a read on his expression but Ty had slammed down some pretty heavy shutters over his eyes. He was hurting, though, Nick could tell that much. Kelly pushed Ty to a crate and made him sit down and pull his shirt off so Kelly could get at the wound. Nick turned around as the craft approached, watching Zane pull the tiny boat up to the ladder. Zane lashed the boat to the bottom of the ladder, grabbed a bag, then climbed the ladder. He didn’t look up until he neared the top.

"Captain," Nick said loud enough for Ty to hear.

Deuce reached for Zane’s hand to help him over the railing. “Garrett.”

"Hey, guys." Zane swung one long leg over the railing, freezing when he saw Ty on the crate. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Twins," Ty grunted. "Chased me through some alleys. Shot at me."

Zane’s mouth twitched like he was trying not to smile. “So, typical afternoon.” He continued over the railing and stood there somewhat awkwardly.

"Until I had to jump on a moving train to lose them." Ty grimaced as Kelly started sewing up his shoulder.

Zane’s body jerked like he was fighting the ingrained response to go to Ty.

"It was actually pretty impressive," Deuce said. "Jumped, rolled, kept firing his gun."

"You were there?" Zane asked.

"Owen and I flew in on the skiff to get him when we heard he was being chased." Deuce tapped his head to remind them of the AI network.

Zane nodded, his eyes never leaving Ty. They were wide and wary, a bit sad and apprehensive. Nick’s chest hurt at the palpable tension between his captains. Kelly looked over Ty’s shoulder at Nick and shot him a tiny smile.

"What’s in the bag?" Ty pointed to the black bag slung over Zane’s shoulder.

Zane sighed and opened the bag. He pulled out a long black cylinder about two feet in length and a foot in diameter. Silver lines traced the length from end to end on six sides. “The casing. The final part.”

Ty stared at it for a long moment. “Peace offering?”

Zane shrugged one shoulder. “Does it work?”

Ty didn’t answer. Kelly pressed bandages to both sides of Ty’s shoulder and made quick work of stitching Ty’s ankle and wrapping it. The silence grew thick and heavy while he worked. The waves lapped the ship. A few birds called in the distance. The sounds of the festival drifted over the water.

When Kelly was done, he stood and gathered his things. “I should go do some…stuff.”

Nick pushed off the railing. “I’ll help.” He grabbed Deuce’s collar and pulled him along, ignoring his protests.

~*~

"They’re about as subtle as a sledgehammer," Zane muttered as he watched them leave.

Ty nodded, his attention still fixed on the man in front of him. The concern that’d flashed over Zane’s face when he saw Ty’s injuries had warmed him. He’d found himself wishing Zane would come over and touch him, check on him, maybe even mother him a little like he’d do every time Ty got hurt.

Which was a lot.

It used to annoy him. Now, his stomach churned at the thought of Zane never doing that again.

Zane turned his dark eyes on Ty. He returned the casing to the bag and shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’s one other thing I have.”

Ty raised his eyebrows slightly. Zane gestured to the cabin. “Can we talk?”

Ty got up and limped into the cabin. Normally, he’d want to stay standing for any kind of heavy discussion, but his ankle throbbed and burned. He settled on the couch and propped his ankle up.

Zane dropped into a plush chair situated at the far end of the couch so they could look at each other. He leaned back, dug in his pocket, and pulled out a small black card. He tapped it against the palm of his hand for a silent moment before he tossed it at Ty. “Here.”

Ty frowned and picked it up from where it landed on his stomach. “What’s this?”

"My inheritance."

Ty froze and looked at Zane carefully. “Your…what?”

Zane rubbed his fingers over his lips while he spoke. “My dad found me while I was waiting for Mother. You’d…you’d like him I think. Laid back. Easy going. Doesn’t really give a shit about much. He’s known I was alive for about five years now.”

"He did? Why didn’t he come after you?"

Zane smiled sadly. “Because he saw I was happy.” He glanced at Ty then looked away again as if he couldn’t bear to hold his gaze for long.

Ty fought every urge to crawl into Zane’s lap and force him to look at him. There was still confusion and anger and hurt rolling around inside. He looked down at the card again. “So what is this?”

"It’s a house in the Caribbean. Along the land bridge between the two Americas. Actually, it’s an estate with enough room for everyone if they wanted."

"Wait, what?"

Zane licked his lips and looked at Ty. “I’m giving it to you. To you and Sidewinder. You guys can do whatever you want with it. Retire. Sell it. Plunder it.” He shook his head. “I don’t want it. Not without you.”

"Zane." Ty’s voice cracked a little around the edges.

"I’m sorry, Ty. I’m so sorry. I should have told you. I should have just bitten the damn bullet and told you. Shitty that you had to find out this way after all this time." He shook his head and looked away again, his eyes glistening in the lamplight. "I just really wanted to forget that part of my life. Forget that guy ever existed. Dad was right. I was happy… _am_ happy.”

Ty couldn’t find words. His anger warred with his sympathy. Betrayal warred with understanding. He cracked apart inside, unable to figure out what he actually felt.

Zane looked at him after a long moment of silence. “Do you want me to leave?”

Ty shook his head mutely.

Zane blew out a breath. “That’s something, I guess.” He stood. “I’ll, ah…I’ll sleep in one of the spare rooms.” He turned and walked out of the cabin before Ty could tell him he didn’t want that.

That he wanted Zane in their bed.


	19. Playing for Keeps

"Wake up."

Kelly mumbled faint protests and tried to burrow deeper under the blankets. The heavy covers vanished with a sharp jerk and cold air assaulted Kelly’s bare skin. “Fuck!” He sat up, blinking as the lamplight hit his unprotected eyes. “What the hell, Nick?”

Nick pulled on a shirt. “Something’s happening. Put on pants.”

"Can’t say I’ve heard you say that often," Kelly grumbled as he groped around the floor for some clothes.

Nick snorted and opened their door. Wind whipped into their cabin, causing Kelly to yelp again. “Can you wait until my ass is covered at least?”

"You’re taking too long." Nick closed the door anyway and grabbed a cable sweater. He tossed it at Kelly. "Put that on. There’s fog and it’s fucking freezing."

"No shit." Kelly’s teeth chattered as he pulled on layers of clothing and then actually took the time to hunt down socks and his boots. He grabbed his goggles and pulled them on. After a moment’s hesitation, he threw some bandages and a few tins of first aid cream in his pockets.

Just in case.

A boom shook the ship.

"Did that come from us?" Kelly asked as he followed Nick into the freezing early morning.

"I don’t think so," Nick said.

Thick fog covered everything, bringing with it that damp drizzle that doesn’t so much fall as it clings. Water beaded up on Kelly’s goggles, warping his vision so much he had to pull them off. The light refracting through the fog made him squint but the pain was manageable. Cecily bounded along the deck railing. He stretched his arm out to her as he passed and she climbed up, taking her spot on his shoulder.

Another boom lit the fog in flashes of orange and white. The ship shook again, rocking to one side as waves smacked into her hull.

"Someone’s shooting at us?" Kelly had to jog to keep up with Nick’s long stride.

"Baron’s here would be my guess," Nick muttered as he grabbed the metal ladder and climbed down to the main deck. Kelly waited until Nick was clear before pulling his sleeves over his hands and grabbing onto the outside frame of the ladder. He held on with his knees and slid down the thing like a pole, landing with a thud on the deck.

"How does he find us so damn fast?" Kelly asked.

Nick shrugged and headed for the main cabin. Waves crashed over the railing as the wind picked up. A large surge hit them both and sent them into the wall of the cabin. Kelly sputtered and coughed, dragging his forearm across his aching eyes.

"Try to keep your hands warm." Nick frowned at the building storm. Normally they would simply fly above it, but with no balloon, they’d have to ride it out.

A storm and a firefight.

In the fog.

Fucking perfect.

Kelly spat seawater to one side and nodded. He watched the swelling waves and caught flashes of orange and white in the fog. More orange flashes answered from another direction. It was impossible to know who was friend and who was foe.

Kelly grabbed Nick’s shirt and yanked him down for a hard kiss. Nick made a surprised sound but wrapped his arms around Kelly and kissed him back just as fraught, just as hard.

"What was that for?" Nick’s eyes were wide and almost cartoon green as they pulled apart.

"Just in case," Kelly whispered.

Nick’s features softened and he nodded. The booms grew louder and the drizzle picked up to a light rain that rolled over the deck. Nick squinted up at the sky. “You should climb.”

"Not like I can see anything through this shit," Kelly grumbled.

"You’ll see better than anyone else will." Nick tugged on Kelly’s hair once as he released him. His easy grin lit his face as he backed away. Kelly grinned back and ran off, for once thankful for the traction on his boots as water washed over the deck. By the time he reached the rigging, he was soaked. Cecily’s freezing metal body pressed against his neck. He caught a flash of movement in the periphery of his vision. Ash and Barnum rounded the corner of the deck, both drenched. The water plastered Ash’s single shirt to his lean frame.

"What can I do?" Ash had to raise his voice over the booms of guns and the rising roar of the storm.

Kelly pointed up. “Crow’s nest! Trying to see through this damn fog.”

Ash nodded and grabbed onto the rigging. Kelly stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Do you have anything warmer?”

Ash shook his head with a grin. “My clothes sorta got blown up, remember?”

Kelly frowned. He stripped off his sweater and handed it to Ash. “It’s wet but it’s another layer.”

"What about you?" Ash took the sweater and slipped it on. It hung off his slimmer frame and the sleeves were a little too long, but at least he wasn’t shivering as bad anymore.

Kelly pulled himself up on the rigging. “I have two more. Nick believes in layers.”

Ash laughed as he followed. Barnum paced along the deck, sat and watched them for a long minute, then ran off down the deck and disappeared. They scaled the water-logged ropes as quickly as they could, hands occasionally slipping or having to simply hang on as waves crashed at their backs.

Another boom echoed across the water and, moments later, Kelly heard a loud ripping sound. A flaming shell from the hidden enemy ship hit one of Sidewinder’s sails, punching a hole through the middle. Flames ate through the fabric in an ever-widening circle, oblivious to the rain as they licked at the top mast.

Kelly cursed and climbed toward it. “We need to cut that sail down before the entire thing catches on fire!”

Ash grabbed a free rope and swung toward the sail, managing to loop an arm around the bottom section of the mast. He pulled out a knife and started cutting.

Kelly put on speed and headed toward the top. The fire crawled along the bottom of the cross beam but hadn’t caught yet. He tied a rigging rope around his waist, prayed it would hold, and stepped out on the beam. The ship lurched and he flailed, nearly losing his balance. He compensated, throwing his weight forward and ended up slamming into the mast itself. His temple hit an exposed set of gears and pain blasted through his skull.

The mast. He had to get the mast free.

Orange and yellow tongues of fire teased him as he knelt and started cutting the lashing ropes. Several of them were already burning and snapped free quickly. He dragged his forearm across his eyes, vaguely noting that he wiped blood as well as rain out of his vision. He crawled along the mast, cutting ropes and flinching when a burning end smacked his skin before it fell away. The wind caught the burning tatters, widening the rips and pulling the giant sail into pieces. When the last ropes fell away, the various pieces flipped and twisted in the wind, sailing into the fog like little fireballs.

Kelly rested his forehead on the mast, trying to catch his breath. Rain lashed at him and the wind was doing its damnedest to throw him off the mast. This high up magnified every sway of the ship.

"Kelly!"

Kelly peered down at Ash, who pointed off the bow. He looked up right as a massive sailing ship broke through the fog, heading straight for Sidewinder’s side. She was black and red, triple-masted, and easily fifty guns if Kelly wanted to bet on it.

"Holy fuck," he whispered.

Now, Sidewinder wasn’t a tiny ship. Even without her balloon, she posed a formidable silhouette in the waves. But she wasn’t originally intended for the water. Her guns were chain-gun turrets made for aerial battles when you needed to fire in all directions. She didn’t have cannons, and any heavy explosives were of the handheld variety Digger liked to throw at moving targets.

Kelly scrambled to his feet, tugged on the lifeline tied to his waist to test its strength, and judged the distance to the deck.

A boom lit up the fog to his left. The ship shuddered and lurched to the right. His boots slipped, and he fell into thin air.

~*~

"We need to be able to turn faster!" Zane yelled into the comm box.

"I’m trying, Garrett!" Owen snapped through the comm. "D and I are rerouting power, but we’re in water. Turning’s going to be slower regardless. We aren’t in a skiff, you know."

"No shit, Johns." Zane slapped the box shut and watched the large ship slice through the fog toward them.

"Well, at least some things are back to normal," Ty muttered as he eyed the box. He spun away and shouted at Digger about explosives.

Zane frowned as Ty walked away. There was a tenuous peace between them in light of the impending attack. At least the crew was treating Zane like a captain. But Ty still wouldn’t look at him longer than a glance.

Nick came out of the armory with a large shotgun over one shoulder and another in his hand which he tossed at Zane. “We need cannons.”

"Tell your monkey to steal some." Zane checked his gun.

"He would do it, too." Nick laughed.

The rain lashed the deck, thunder adding to the roaring of guns. The fog had lifted enough so they could at least see the ocean over the railing of the ship, but that was about it.

The massive ship fired three of her guns. One shot hit home, slamming into Sidewinder’s bow. She shuddered and lurched to the side, throwing Zane and Nick against the railing. Nick threw a hand out and grabbed Zane’s forearm to keep them from flipping over the railing into the water.

Someone yelled from the masts.

"Oh shit," Nick breathed as they both looked up right as Kelly fell. Zane’s heart lurched as Kelly flailed in the air for something to grab, missing rigging by inches.

Kelly’s lifeline pulled tight as he hit the length of it.

And snapped where it’d been damaged by the burning sail.

Kelly threw an arm out, managing to grab a length of chain and swing toward the second level roof. He slammed into the side wall with a thud they heard over the storm and held on, his head bowed and his body still.

"Go." Zane pushed Nick’s shoulder. "Make sure he’s okay."

Nick nodded tightly and took off at a run.

"Where do you need me?" Elias’ voice pulled Zane’s attention. He’d wrapped a handkerchief around his head and put on a hat in the probably fruitless attempt to keep his bandage dry.

"Chain gun," Zane said as another boom shook the air. A shell whistled overhead and punched a hole in the side of the second level. Wood and metal flew in the air, sizzling in the rain. Another two shells hit one right after another, spaced out enough that half the second level erupted in flames. At other end of the level, Nick’s head appeared on the roof as he leaned over to help Kelly up. Kelly was clutching one arm to his chest as he shimmied over the lip of the roof and vanished.

Another shell smacked into the wall where Kelly had been.

"Oh fuck…" Zane took off at a run. He heard the successive booms of their own guns finally spinning off. Ty and Digger shouted back and forth from another part of the ship. He rounded the corner as Nick and Kelly made it to the ladder leading to the main deck. Kelly’s face was bloody and his left arm curled into his chest.

Zane waited at the bottom for Kelly to make his way down. “How is he? How are you?”

"Arm’s broken," Kelly gasped. "Other than that, fantastic. You?"

Zane’s response was cut off by a loud cracking that gave way to a squeal that set his teeth on edge. Half of the second level buckled and tilted dangerously, its supports weakened by the assault.

Nick grabbed Kelly and Zane and pushed them hard. “Move!”

"Ash is still up there!" Kelly struggled out of Nick’s grip, his nearly white eyes wide with horror and panic.

Zane spun around, immediately zeroing in on the lean figure climbing along the rigging toward a safer space. If Ash could make it ten more feet, he’d be free and clear when the level gave away.

"Brace for impact!" came the call through the ship moments before the giant attacking vessel broadsided their ship.

Zane stumbled back, sliding on the wet deck and falling against the railing. He groaned and clutched his side, pushing off and looking up as men from the enemy vessel swung over on ropes. The collapsing half of the second level squealed and splintered, crumbling in on itself and pitching to one side. With a loud cracking, several large chunks broke free, glancing off the the side of the ship before hitting the water. A massive piece comprised mostly of gearwork fell straight to the deck, crushing four of the invading sailors and trapping Zane on the deck, his legs pinned by a large chunk of burning wood and metal. He tried to wrench his legs free but pain shot through his thigh and he cried out.

He heard a click and looked up into the barrel of a gun.

~*~

Ty’s metal elbow broke the nose of one guy who tried to grab Ty from behind. He spun and kicked the guy in the chest, sending him against the railing. Ty grinned slowly and shoved the man overboard, turning away before the body even hit water. No way were these fuckers going to board his ship and get away with it.

He looked up again, trying to see Ash through the smoke and rain. He’d been on his way to rescue the bastard when Sidewinder was broadsided and boarded.

"Digger! Where are your motherfucking bombs?"

Digger yelled something either in a different language or unintelligible from the main cabin roof. Moments later, one of the massive guns spun into action, spraying bullets across the side of the ship currently leaning on them.

Ty spotted Ash trapped on the rigging between open air and a burning section of mast. He cursed and started running for the ladder to take him to the second level when the shells slammed into framework above his head. He watched in horror as his ship splintered and buckled under the stress, breaking off in huge sections and falling into the ocean.

"Fuckers need to stop blowing holes in my ship," he growled. He flipped open a comm box on the wall. "We need to move!"

"We’re trying!" Deuce snapped and the line went dead.

As Ty gauged the side wall of the cabin to see if he could climb to get Ash, a flash of silver caught his eye. Barnum raced along the burning framework, streaking toward Ash. He cleared ten foot gap that had fallen away, sliding on the rain soaked metal, but kept his footing and raced toward Ash. With a roar, Barnum leapt onto and traversed the flaming cross-beam. As he neared, Ash slipped as another shudder rolled through the ship and more pieces of the weakened second level fell away.

A hand grabbed Ty’s shoulder and spun him around, another fist flying for his face. Ty ducked and came back with an uppercut and drove his metal fist into the guy’s ribs. He heard a satisfying crunch and backed up enough to kick him in the chest and send the guy sprawling on the deck, unconscious.

That’s when Ty saw the scripted B emblazoned on the man’s shirt.

It was the Baron’s ship.

Ty made sure Barnum had Ash safely and was bringing him back down before he turned and ran around the corner, heading for a large gun that he would hopefully point at Bell’s head. The large section of framework crashing to the deck halted him in his tracks.

The pained cry from Zane sent ice through his veins and made the hair on the back of his neck rise.

He dimly heard someone yell about a second and then a third ship. He didn’t pause to find out if they were friend or foe. He rounded the flaming wreckage as quickly as he could, searching through the rain and smoke for Zane.

Ty pushed through a wall of smoke and came up behind a pirate with his gun leveled at Zane’s face. Ty moved without thinking. He pulled his gun and shoved it in the man’s back. “Drop it.”

The pirate froze but didn’t move. “Shoot me and I shoot your wife here out of reflex.”

"Why does everyone threaten that?" Ty looked over the man’s shoulder at Zane. "They realize it’s not something that always happens, right?"

Zane shrugged and shook his head, his expression torn between pain and amusement. Ty brought his metal arm up underneath the man’s outstretched gun arm at the same time as Zane flicked one of his hands, sending a knife into the guy’s neck. The pirate jerked, his gun discharging into the air and fell over dead.

"Huh, guess he was right." Ty stepped over the body and knelt next to Zane. "You really should move when the ship is falling apart, darlin’."

Zane laughed and winced. “I’ll remember that for next time.” He sucked in a sudden breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

"What’s going on under there?" Ty didn’t want to move Zane until he was sure he wouldn’t kill him.

"Something’s stabbed my right leg."

"Zane!" Nick appeared on the other side. Soot smudged his face and neck. Blood smeared up his sleeve from wrist to elbow. Kelly knelt on the deck and peered at the wreckage. His left arm was bound tight with what looked like ripped pieces of sail and splinted with two flat pieces of metal. Ty pointed at Kelly’s arm and raised his eyebrows.

"Just a break. I’m fine." Kelly’s good hand ran down the outside of Zane’s thigh as he tried to reach under the wreckage.

"Just a break," Ty repeated flatly. He glanced at Nick who shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Booms echoed on all sides. Ty looked up as two more ships broke through the fog—one on the sea and one in the air. “Son of a motherfucking bitch.”

Zane looked up and cursed at the familiar shape of Warrior’s Cross. “Who are the other ships?”

"The one that rammed us is Liam." Ty glanced at the other ship as she shot her canons either at Sidewinder or at the Baron’s ship, he couldn’t tell. "I don’t know that one."

Nick glanced at the ship. “It’s Burns. I recognize the masthead.”

"Hooray, it’s a fucking threesome." Ty looked at Zane’s legs. "Can we get this off him?"

Kelly nodded. “I found the bleeder. It’s not fatal.”

"Well, that’s good," Zane muttered wryly.

Kelly snorted. “It’s just going to hurt like a bitch when the pressure is off.”

"It hurts like a bitch now," Zane growled. His face had grown steadily paler as he sat there.

Ty’s heart squeezed. “Is his leg broken?”

Kelly shook his head. “I don’t think so. Most of the weight is on his femur and it takes one hell of a hit to break that bone.” He backed away so Nick could take his place. “Just lift fast so I can get in there.”

"Lift fast he says," Nick grunted as he slid his arms under the framework and pushed his shoulder into it.

"You just stand there and supervise, southpaw," Ty grumbled as he clenched his teeth and lifted. His fingers slipped on the wet metal, rain fell in his eyes, and he was acutely aware of Zane’s pained breathing. He glanced over his shoulder. "The second you’re free, slide out if you can."

Zane swallowed and nodded, his mouth in a thin line. Successive booms roared over the storm and the ship shuddered.

"Are they firing at us or each other?" Kelly asked as he flinched.

"Both?" Ty ventured as he threw his weight into the rain-soaked wreckage. The metal squealed and groaned under his and Nick’s efforts, inching upward. Judging by the weight of this thing, Ty was surprised Zane’s legs hadn’t been completely crushed.

As the debris lifted, a pained sound escaped Zane’s mouth before he clenched his teeth and turned it into a long, low growl. His nostrils flared with heavy breaths and, suddenly, he pulled himself backward. Kelly looped his good arm under Zane’s armpit and pulled. The moment Zane’s feet cleared the twisted metal, Ty and Nick let go and stepped away, breathing hard and shaking out their arms.

Kelly wrapped Zane’s thigh in a waterlogged bandage from his pocket. “This will have to do until we can get to the infirmary. It’s not bleeding bad which means you missed the artery.”

"And that’s good, right?" Ty asked.

Kelly pressed his lips together. “He’d already be dead if that’d happened.”

He knew that answer was coming, but hearing it kicked Ty in the chest and stole the breath from his lungs. He stared at the wreckage, unwilling to believe that twisted pile of metal and wood nearly killed the man he loved.

While they were fighting.

Over stupid bullshit that happened twenty years ago.

"Ty?" Zane’s voice was thin and tight. "Are you okay?"

Ty stared at Zane and shook his head. “I almost lost you,” he managed hoarsely, the words nearly getting lost in the storm and gunfire.

But Zane could read lips and his features softened. _Never,_ he mouthed.

"Okay, I love that you two just had a moment," Nick said. "But we have three ships trying to kill each other and we’re in the crossfire."

Nick and Ty helped Zane to his feet. He wobbled for a moment then found his balance on the least injured leg. He winced as his weight shifted but he nodded once. “I’m good.”

"Liar," Ty smirked.

"Captain Grady!" The Baron’s voice boomed out of the storm, amplified though the wind and waves and rain.

"Mother?" Ty asked with a wide-eyed expression.

Kelly giggled.

"You amuse me, darling," The Baron purred across the water.

"How in the hell…" Nick looked around.

Ty frowned up at the belly of Warrior’s Cross and looked straight down at the Baron’s ship, which was still butted up to their side. “Glad I could make you laugh, Liam. How can I be of service to you on this fine morning?” He motioned for Nick to come closer.

When Nick leaned over, Ty put his mouth right to Nick’s ear. “EMP.”

Nick followed his line of sight, nodded, and hustled off toward the rear of the ship.

"I believe you have something of mine," Bell’s voice distorted slightly then smoothed out again.

"Your ship?" Ty snorted as he helped Zane around to the cabin. He motioned for Kelly to take Zane indoors. Zane shook his head and grabbed Ty’s shoulder. _Go,_ Ty mouthed.

Zane frowned.

"Well, that too. Although I must say that you’ve done a bang up job taking care of her."

"Bite me, Bell." Ty pushed Zane toward the cabin. When Zane started to protest, Ty growled and pressed his mouth to Zane’s. Zane jerked in surprise, his hands immediately coming up to grab Ty’s face.

"Trust me," Ty breathed against Zane’s lips.

"Always," Zane whispered. He kissed Ty one more time then backed away, following Kelly into the cabin.

Ty turned slowly to face the massive ship kissing Sidewinder’s cheek. “What did I steal from you this time, Liam?”

"Not stole. More of a loan and I’m here to collect."

Ty checked the bullets in his gun. He caught sight of Elias and Digger walking down the deck toward him. “And what the hell would I borrow from you?”

"My android. Owen Johns."

~*~

Down in the engine room, Owen froze as the Baron’s voice filtered both through the ship and his internal network. He looked at Deuce with wide eyes. “I belong to the Baron?”

Deuce snorted. “You belong to no one, actually. He may have commissioned your model or hatched this crazy plan, but you’re not a slave or a pretty vase.” He squatted by the secondary engine. “I think I’ve pulled as much power out of this baby as I can.”

Owen nodded, fear balling in his chest. Part of him wished that he didn’t have the ability to feel human emotion. He could really use the disconnect right about now.

The door opened and Nick’s head poked in. “Hey, guys.”

"We heard," Owen said. "Baron wants me."

"Kinky." Nick held up a small box. "You two better shut down for a few minutes. The engines too."

Deuce folded his arms. “You sure that’s going to work?”

Nick’s smile was slow and borderline evil. “Oh yeah. It’s going to work.”

"You scare me when you grin like that," Deuce muttered. "All right. Give us five."

Nick glanced at Owen and nodded. Owen gave him a thin smile. He still wasn’t sure how to act around everyone. Granted, Zane and Ty had been yelling at him all morning about the engines like they normally did. He rubbed the back of his neck and headed over to the computers. He initiated a shut-down sequence and waited while the engines powered down one by one. Screens winked off, the churning thrums of the engines slowed to an eventual stop, and the room plunged into near darkness.

"That’s that." Deuce sat on the floor. "You remember what I showed you?"

Owen nodded. “See you in a bit.” He closed his eyes and pulled up the restart routine Deuce showed him. It was so weird to be poking around inside his head like a giant supercomputer—calling up routines, running programs, shuffling through files.

Shutting down.

Fucking bizarre.

The world went to black.

~*~

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Kelly paused in the middle of stitching the gash in Zane’s thigh and peered wide-eyed at the cabin door.

Zane frowned and nodded. “He’s laying claim to Owen.”

Kelly returned to the stitches, working quickly and methodically. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening. Deuce all but officially adopted him.”

Zane grunted, eyeing the door and hoping Ty would come inside. His neck flushed thinking about the kiss and he reprimanded himself for basically dancing over it like a teenager. He had no idea what pushed Ty past the anger but he wasn’t questioning it, and he was going to embrace this second chance with everything he had.

It was just unfortunate that it had to come in the middle of a sea battle.

With their ship falling apart.

"There we go." Kelly finished tying off a bandage and stood, flexing his fingers. "It’s pointless for me to tell you stay off it, isn’t it?"

"About as pointless as me telling you not to play monkey with a broken arm." Zane stood with a wince and pulled his pants back on. "I’ll be careful."

Kelly shook his head. “Too soon to break out the ‘you’re a really good liar’ jokes?”

Zane leveled a look at him. Kelly cackled. “Yeah, okay. I’ll wait another day.”

Zane rolled his eyes and grabbed the mask his dad had given him. He hadn’t worn it since the storm rolled in because he didn’t want it damaged by the seawater, but his chest ached as the familiar burning intensified with each breath. Kelly arched an eyebrow but didn’t say anything as he pulled his goggles back on.

Scuffling and shouts erupted right outside the door. Zane grabbed his knives from the table and flung the door open, Kelly right on his heels. He flung the door open, startling two of the Baron’s men. Zane grabbed one behind the neck and slammed him into the cabin wall. Kelly darted out and drove his shoulder into the gut of another, knocking them back against the far railing.

"Nick!" Ty’s voice rang out across the deck. His next words were cut off by skin hitting skin and a series of grunts followed by a string of impressive cursing. "Push the goddamn button!"

Zane turned and drove his fist into another attacker’s face. The man growled and swung at Zane, missing his jaw, but landing a hit on his side. Zane doubled over coughing and felt fingers close in his hair. He popped a knife from his cuff and lashed out, catching the man across the ribs. The man’s grip loosed enough for Zane to twist away and drive his knife into the man’s chest.

"Nick!" Ty ran down the deck.

"Keep your panties on, Beaumont! I had to shoot someone." Nick appeared, water streaming down his face. He wiped a smear of blood from his cheek and pressed the button on the box.

"Digger! Now!" Ty yelled at the cabin roof.

Digger appeared with what amounted to a homemade rocket launcher. Zane heard shouts from the air. Warrior’s Cross listed to one side as probably most of her crew kicked their fail-safes. There was no telling how many of them were gearheads. Digger knelt, aimed, and with a whoop, fired. Blue and red smoke billowed out of the launcher on both ends as a shell shot through the air.

Zane watched the shot fly, his breath catching in his throat.

Ty hit the comm box on the wall. “Are you two up yet?”

"Just came back," Owen’s voice crackled through.

"Hard to port. Everything you have now," Ty growled.

The shell punched into Warrior’s Cross’ underbelly, green and blue fire flaring out of the hole and crawling along the entire underside of the ship.

"What the fuck kind of fire is that?" Kelly asked.

Digger laughed. “Special blend. Family secret.”

"Your family scares me," Kelly laughed.

With a groan and squeal of metal, Sidewinder slowly pulled away from the Baron’s ship. Zane turned as Burns’ ship started firing in earnest, trying to slow their retreat. “We still have a friend!”

Sidewinder pushed further away, riding a storm wave away from the Baron’s ship. As Warrior’s Cross burned, her engines exploded in flashes of red and orange, adding to the rainbow of fire spewing out of her belly. Ty crowed as she fell from the sky, landing on top of the Baron’s ship in all its flaming glory. The resulting explosion pushed water away in massive, roiling waves. One wave swamped Burns’ ship, knocking her to her side.

Another wave caught Sidewinder and washed across her decks, throwing everyone against walls or railings. She spun around, her damaged second level breaking more and falling away in great chunks.

The waves from the explosion kept coming, pummeling Sidewinder and Burns’ ship, driving them further and further apart. Burns’ ship flipped one more time, her belly facing the storm. As the waves pushed at Sidewinder, another piece of the second level would fall away, providing them with the momentum to swing back upright.

Another fireball lit the rolling waves, sending debris shooting into the air.

As the burning wreckage fell back to the ocean, the storm finally abated and the world grew silent.


	20. Just a Pirate with a Broken Ship

Zane rolled over with a groan and pushed up to his hands and knees.

"Zane!" Ty grabbed him, pulling him up. Without hesitating, he ripped Zane’s mask away and kissed him hard. Zane smiled against Ty’s lips and wrapped his arms around Ty’s waist, holding tight. Ty laughed and pulled away, his eyes dancing. "We blew up the Baron. And the twins."

"And it looks like we sunk Burns," Elias said.

"They broke our bedroom," Kelly muttered as he looked up at the mangled and mostly destroyed second level.

Nick slid an arm around Kelly’s shoulder and pressed his face to Kelly’s hair. “We’ll rebuild it.”

Zane wasn’t paying attention to anyone else. He stared at the man in his arms, grateful and thankful. Ty’s smile was huge and infectious, pure elation bleeding out of every part of him.

"We need to search for bodies," Digger suggested. "I won’t believe it until I see bodies."

Ty pushed away from Zane and helped him stand. Zane leaned on Ty heavily, a deep ache settling in his thigh. “We’ll send the skiff out if it survived everything.”

Ash limped around the corner followed by Barnum, who was more scorched than before but still intact. “Can I keep this cat? I like him.”

Ty’s clear and boyish laugh rang across the water. Kelly sagged against Nick, laughing and clutching his broken arm to his chest. Zane shook his head with a smile. “Sure, Lucroix, you can keep the cat.”

Ash grinned.

Ty looked around. “Who isn’t injured and can take the skiff out?”

Digger raised his hand. Nick raised his hand. Kelly started to but Nick batted it back down again. “Your arm is broken, genius.”

Ty laughed again. “Kelly, get to the infirmary and fix your arm. Then start patching these assholes up. Digger, Nick, with me.” He turned and kissed Zane one more time. “Be back soon.”

"Don’t get dead," Zane said softly.

Ty smiled. “Love you, too.”

"Well, it’s good to know Mommy and Daddy are on speaking terms again," Elias said with a grin as he headed toward the infirmary.

~*~

Kelly rolled his neck a few times, trying to crack the kinks. It’d been two hours since the skiff left. He’d tended to injuries and swapped out soaking wet bandages for fresh, clean ones. With Elias’ help, he’d set and wrapped his own broken arm.

Since they didn’t know yet the state of the second level, Elias lent Kelly some dry clothes. Kelly had just pulled on the shirt when he heard the thrum of the skiff returning. Good. He was exhausted and sore. He wanted to find a spare cabin, pull Nick into bed, and sleep for a week.

He hustled out of the infirmary, the wet deck cool under his bare feet, and stopped short when he saw Nick exiting the skiff.

He looked pissed and worried.

Kelly frowned and approached the group. Nick saw him and jerked his head to the cabin. Kelly nodded and followed.

Inside, confusion and worry thickened the air with tension. Ty shed his wet coat and ran his hands through his hair. “No bodies.”

"What?" Owen sat forward.

"Have either of you heard anything?" Ty looked at Owen and Deuce and tapped his head.

They shook their heads. “I’ve been checking,” Deuce said. “It’s the quietest I’ve ever heard.”

"Maybe they were blown to bits," Elias ventured.

Digger shook his head. “No bodies on Burns’ ship either and that only sank.”

"All we found was this." Nick reached into his pack and pulled out a hand. Metal connectors and wires stuck out of the mangled wrist. He tossed it on the table and pointed to the ring on the middle finger. "The Baron."

"Does this mean they weren’t on the ships or that they escaped?" Ash asked.

Ty shrugged. “Who the fuck knows?”

Zane sat forward. “But their ships are destroyed. And they know we can take them. We’ll gather whatever we need from the wreckage to fix Sidewinder.” He pointed at Owen and Deuce. “Get her flying again. I’m sick of the water.”

They nodded.

"Where are the bomb parts?" Zane asked Digger.

Digger pointed to a canvas bag in the corner of the room.

Zane nodded. “Destroy them. I don’t care how.”

Digger nodded.

Ty folded his arms as silence descended again. Kelly stared at the ownerless hand on the table. His gut twisted as he thought about the possibility their worst enemies might still be out there somewhere.

Plotting.

Waiting.

"You guys get some rest," Ty said quietly. "We’ll start repairs tomorrow." He walked out of the cabin. Zane frowned at the hand for a moment longer before following.

Kelly tugged on one of Nick’s curls. “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes. I found a spare cabin for us.”

Nick’s eyes flared and he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip as he followed Kelly.

~*~

Zane sat on the edge of the bed and watched Ty move around the room. He’d stripped off his wet clothes and was digging through a drawer for a pair of pants. He looked tired. Bruises dotted his back and the side of his ribs. His new metal arm gleamed in the low light. His hair stuck up in odd places as it dried.

Ty pulled on the pants and crawled onto the bed, butting his head against Zane’s chest and pushing at him like an overgrown dog. Zane laughed softly and fell backward. Ty hummed in approval and stretched out over him, leaning down to kiss him gently. Zane cupped Ty’s cheek as they kissed each other languidly. There was no urgency, no insatiable fire. More relief and pleasure. A steady hum between their bodies as they reacquainted themselves again.

"Are you okay?" Zane whispered.

Ty pulled back and propped his head on one elbow. He traced the collar of Zane’s shirt with one metal finger. “Wish we’d found bodies.”

Zane nodded. “The bodies could’ve sunk. Ocean’s pretty deep last time I checked.”

Ty smiled indulgently and nodded. “True.”

Zane bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath. “Are we okay?”

Ty tilted his head with a serious expression. “Depends.”

Zane’s heart squeezed. “On?”

"Do I have to call you Your Highness or something now?"

Zane laughed in relief and grabbed the back of Ty’s neck, pulling their mouths together. Ty smiled, his hands running down Zane’s chest and sliding under his shirt. Ty’s hips rocked against Zane’s thigh as they kissed, a little growl rumbling out of his chest. Warmth spread through Zane’s body and he shifted further under Ty, widening his legs so Ty could settle between them. Ty pushed against him, kissing him harder, sliding his tongue into Zane’s mouth to lick at his teeth.

Zane groaned, sliding his hands over Ty’s back, tracing the smooth skin and the bumps of his spine. “Why did you put on pants?”

"Living in the moment," Ty murmured. He kissed down Zane’s jaw to his neck, sucking lightly and traveling to his shoulder. He tugged at Zane’s shirt. "This needs to move."

Zane laughed and managed to get the shirt off without making Ty move too much. Then Ty was back, kissing down Zane’s chest, his warm human hand traveling up and down Zane’s side.

Zane tugged on Ty’s hair, pulling him back up to his mouth. “Need you,” he whispered.

"You have me," Ty whispered back. He gripped Zane’s hips and thrust gently against him, his lips mimicking his movements.

Zane’s eyes slid shut as the pleasure built. “Ty,” he ground out.

Ty hummed and slid his hand up Zane’s ribs and back down again, dipping his fingers under the waistband of Zane’s pants. He tugged at Zane’s hip, lifting enough so he could push at Zane’s pants. Zane lifted his hips off the bed and pushed at Ty’s pants as well. Ty laughed. “Why am I doing all the work?”

"There’s a joke about me being royalty somewhere in there." Zane bit his bottom lip against a grin. He loved pushing Ty’s buttons and he knew this would always be one. He just didn’t know how far he could push Ty on this particular subject just yet.

Ty growled and yanked Zane’s pants off the rest of the way and discarded his own. He crawled back up the bed, hovering over Zane with a narrow-eyed expression. He leaned over and bit at Zane’s bottom lip, pulling away when Zane tried to chase the kiss. “Royalty, huh?” Ty ducked his head and bit at Zane’s neck. “So…what…I’m supposed to get on my knees for you?”

Zane moaned at the image that brought to mind. He grabbed at whatever of Ty he could reach as Ty nipped and kissed across Zane’s chest. “You can do whatever you want with me,” he managed. And he meant it.

Ty froze and lifted his head, searching Zane’s face for any trace of joking.

Zane licked his lips and dragged his fingertips across Ty’s cheekbone. “I’m just a pirate on a broken ship.”

Ty’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re _my_ pirate on a broken ship.” He leaned over and kissed Zane, his hand sliding under Zane’s head to grab at his hair. Zane wrapped his arms around Ty’s shoulders and pushed his hips against Ty’s. He groaned into Ty’s mouth. The heat built and his need rose with it. He didn’t just want Ty. He _needed_ him.

Now.

"Want to feel you, baby," he whispered. He slid one leg up, his heel dragging along Ty’s calf.

Ty’s response was a low rumble in his chest as he ground his hips against Zane. His fingers tightened in Zane’s hair and he nipped at Zane’s lip before tearing himself away and reaching for the side table. The movement pushed his hips into Zane’s harder, rubbing their erections together. Zane gasped and arched against him. “Ty…”

"Patience, your highness," Ty growled as he returned, diving in for a messy, hard kiss that made Zane lightheaded. Ty reached between Zane’s legs to tease him. He ran a palm up and down Zane’s cock, jacking him slowly, and covering him completely in lubricant. He dragged his fingers down under Zane’s balls and slid one finger inside him, swallowing Zane’s gasp and smiling slowly against Zane’s mouth. "What was that about being royalty?"

"Absolutely nothing. Oh fuck…" Zane writhed under Ty, pushing back against his fingers.

Ty rested his forehead against Zane’s, their noses brushing as he worked his fingers. “Can’t wait any longer.”

"I fully endorse your impatience," Zane managed between gasps.

Ty laughed as he pulled his fingers out and pressed against Zane. His laugh turned into a groan as he pushed slowly inside, rocking gently. He braced himself on his forearms and kissed Zane’s neck, resting his mouth against Zane’s skin as he pushed fully inside, pulled out almost all the way, and thrust in again, establishing a steady rhythm. The muscles of his lower back moved under Zane’s roaming hands.

Zane squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his head back against the pillow, electricity surging through his system. He pulled his knees higher, the pain in his thigh a faraway twinge compared to the pleasure of Ty moving inside him. Ty’s hips rolled steadily, his groans growing in volume along with Zane’s moans. Zane’s hands slid down Ty’s arms and Ty moved his hands to Zane’s, lacing their fingers together. The metal of Ty’s clockwork hand bit into Zane’s palm but he didn’t care. Every touch, every thrust, every snag of skin all combined together and intensified, pushing Zane closer and closer to the brink.

Ty brought their linked hands up by Zane’s head and pressed down, using them for leverage so he could increase the force of his movements. Sweat rolled down his face and his eyes were so dilated, they were nearly black. His teeth had sunk into his lower lip, and Zane never thought Ty’d looked more beautiful.

"Goddamn, I love you," he breathed.

Ty kissed him softly. “Love you.” His fingers flexed in Zane’s as he slowed down his thrusts to long slides. He kept that up until Zane was nearly mindless with pleasure and, with a growl, let himself brutally fuck Zane hard and fast.

Zane shouted and pulled at Ty’s hands. Pleasure curled in his groin and he wrapped his legs around Ty’s waist, holding on as Ty’s thrusts slid him up the sheets. He gasped for air and squeezed Ty’s waist hard, his fingers digging into Ty’s hands as he came all over his stomach and chest. Ty groaned, resting his forehead on Zane’s chin so he could watch. His body started to shake as he kept up his pace, his muscles pulling tighter as his orgasm neared.

Zane rolled his hips as best he could. “Come on, baby.”

Ty’s shout echoed through the room and he froze, his entire body going rigid as he came inside Zane. He gasped for air as he collapsed on Zane’s chest, their sweaty skin smearing Zane’s cum between them. Zane freed his hands and wrapped his arms around Ty, rolling them to their sides but not letting go of him. He didn’t bother to slow his breathing, just pulled in lungful after lungful of air that smelled and tasted like sex and Ty.

Ty hummed against Zane’s chest, the sound tired yet happy. “You made a mess.”

Zane snorted and nuzzled Ty’s sweaty hair. “Your fault.”

Ty’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “Guilty.”

Zane’s body buzzed and his mind churned. He didn’t want to ruin the after-sex glow, but there was one thing he needed to know even though he was afraid of the answer. “Are you still mad at me?”

Ty pushed back enough so he could look at Zane. “I just fucked your brains out and you ask if I’m still mad at you?”

Zane laughed. “Yeah, I know. I just…”

Ty reached up and smoothed a finger over the lines between Zane’s brows. “To be honest, yeah a little. But, I get it. I understand why you did it. Hell, I can’t say I would’ve done differently.” He blew out a breath. “But you know you can trust me, right?”

"Yes," Zane answered without a second of hesitation.

~*~

Even though the deck was soaked with water, the entire crew of Sidewinder gathered up top to enjoy a sunset in a clear sky and eat a hot meal prepared by Elias. Barnum followed Ash around like his shadow, never straying more than a foot away from him at all times. Owen and Deuce sat together discussing some of the more technical aspects of being an artificial life form.

After dinner, various instruments and bottles of alcohol appeared. Surrounded by the wreckage of three ships, they drank and sang. The more they drank, the louder and more off-tune they got, but no one cared.

Kelly leaned back against Nick’s chest, exhaustion seeping deep into his bones. He smiled as Nick wrapped a blanket around the both of them and pressed his nose into Kelly’s hair, humming softly along with the current tune. Nick’s warmth eased him and comforted him more than anything else could. Cecily crawled onto his lap and curled up, her added weight providing another layer of comfort. After a moment, Kelly reached up and pushed the goggles off his eyes. He blinked as the world washed white for a split second then slowly swam into focus without the burning and the watering this time.

The setting sun was a ball of fire along the horizon, turning the sea blood red. He watched his captains cuddled on another part of the deck much like he was with Nick. Zane’s head tipped back to kiss Ty under the jaw and Ty smiled as he nuzzled Zane’s temple. Ash started entertaining everyone by juggling various bottles, a mischievous grin on his face the entire time. Digger and Elias, in the midst of singing loudly, shared a cigar.

Kelly smiled and snuggled back into Nick’s chest more. Nick’s arms tightened around him as he laughed at something Elias said.

It was home.

It was family.

And his eyes didn’t hurt.


End file.
